Project Celestial: Multi-Domain Site Selection Framework for Terrestrial and Maritime Spaceport Infrastructure

Project Celestial aims to develop a multi-domain site selection framework for global terrestrial and maritime spaceport infrastructure. This initiative seeks to enhance the Department of the Air Force's (DAF) global launch opportunities and operational flexibility by integrating diverse data streams—geospatial, political, environmental, security, and logistical—to objectively evaluate and rank optimal spaceport locations. The framework will support strategic military and dual-use infrastructure planning, addressing current siloed and manual site-selection processes. Phase I focuses on designing the foundational architecture, developing methodologies, and demonstrating feasibility, with deliverables including a feasibility study and system design. Phase II will develop a functional prototype with a scoring engine, scenario planning, and integration with mission systems. Phase III will transition Project Celestial into an operational, enterprise-grade platform for both military applications (e.g., strategic basing, contingency planning) and commercial use (e.g., launch site optimization, risk management for maritime launches), ultimately achieving TRL 8-9.