Wallops Island & Flight Facility

Wallops Island, Virginia, USA

Jul 4th, 1945

FIRST LAUNCH

NASA

PRIMARY OPERATOR

LAUNCH PADS

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ABOUT THE LAUNCH SITE

Description:

Wallops Island and Flight Facility, located on the eastern shore of Virginia, is a NASA-run launch site that supports a wide range of scientific, commercial, and military missions, including the testing of new rocket systems and payloads. With its unique coastal location, cutting-edge technology, and experienced workforce, Wallops Island and Flight Facility is a vital hub for space innovation and exploration.

Quick Facts:

During the Apollo program, Wallops Island was utilized for testing the Lunar Module (LM), which played a pivotal role in landing astronauts on the Moon.
On February 15, 1961, Wallops Island became the site of a significant achievement when the Explorer 9 satellite was launched into orbit. It was the first successful satellite launch from the facility and played a crucial role in advancing space exploration.
Wallops Island has hosted a range of scientific missions and resupply missions to the ISS, making it a significant center for space research and exploration.

Quotes from History

From this location, we have launched more than 16,000 rockets, many of them being milestones in the development of space exploration.
David Pierce, Former director of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility