Wallops Island Overview
A complete overview of the Wallops Island launch site, including key info, launch stats and the companies that launch from it.
Basic Info
Name
Wallops Island
Total Launch Count
84
First Launch
21 Aug 1959
Last Launch
21 Mar 2024
Location
VA, United States
Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), located on Wallops Island, Virginia, is a prominent rocket launch site operated by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Established in 1945, it has been integral in advancing research on flight characteristics of airplanes, launch vehicles, spacecraft, and in studying the Earth's upper atmosphere and outer space environment. The facility supports a range of activities including launches of sounding rockets, small expendable suborbital and orbital rockets, high-altitude balloon flights, and aeronautical research aircraft testing, including unmanned aerial vehicles. Wallops has seen over 16,000 launches since its inception. It also provides support for science missions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), foreign governments, and commercial organizations, and is involved in tests and exercises with the U.S. Navy. The facility employs around 1,000 NASA civil service employees, contractors, U.S. Navy personnel, and NOAA employees.
Companies/Agencies who used Wallops Island
NASA
U.S. federal agency for space exploration and aeronautics, aerospace research.
Rocket Lab
Private aerospace company specializing in lightweight rockets and small satellite launches.
CNES
National Research Council
Northrop Grumman Space Systems
Orbital ATK
Orbital Sciences Corporation
Science and Engineering Research Council
Space Services Inc.
United States Air Force