Recent papers reveal New Zealand is becoming a vital global space hub.NASA’s Orion spacecraft on the Artemis II mission at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on April 1, 2026. Joel Kowsky/NASA via Getty Images4/2/2026|Updated: 4/3/2026The United States government is increasingly looking to New Zealand as a possible space launch site, as the Pentagon warns that existing infrastructure is struggling to keep pace with an unprecedented surge in missions.A recent Congressional briefing paper (pdf) says the U.S. Space Force anticipates supporting 173 launches in 2026—a massive jump from just 25 a decade earlier.
US Eyes New Zealand as Possible Space Launch Site
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