(Shore Daily News)
(Shore Daily News)
Firefly Aerospace set to expand launches from Wallops - Shore Daily News
(Shore Daily News)
Rocketlab says the future at Wallops is bright - Shore Daily News
(Shore Daily News)
By Linda Cicoira
Kokosing Construction Co., a multi-state operation, recently announced the start of its project to design and build a replacement causeway road and bridge at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.
According to contract details, the cost was estimated at $62,395,600 and has since been increased by 1 percent to $63,270,600 or by $875,000.
The bridge will go over Cat Creek and replace the existing structure, built in 1959-1960. The existing structure “is nearing the end of its service life,” the announcement on Instagram stated.
“Design partner, WSP USA, (an engineering firm), is incorporating durable materials to maximize service life and protect the structure from the aggressive coastal, and marine environment of the Virginia barrier islands,” the announcement continued. “We will utilize a top-down construction methodology to minimize the environmental impacts to adjacent tidal wetland areas.”
The road is the only access to that portion of the NASA facility, making it critical to daily operations. Construction is expected to begin in early 2025 and be completed in early 2029.
I remember when the existing bridge was built. My uncle was an engineer for Bendix in the early days of NASA and helped develop the Echo series of inflatable target satellites. I still have some scraps left lover from their construction described as "mylar covered aluminum". It was extremely thin but very strong.
I can even remember when there was no bridge and staff and workers had to take a ferry to get to Wallops Island. The ferry landing is still there and can be found by taking Metompkin Road out of Assawoman, turning left on Pettit Road and another left on Pierce Taylor Road and following to the end. My father worked there at one time as a dump truck driver during the initial construction phase.
Your friend,
Slim
The Director of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility addressed the Accomack County Board of Supervisors this week regarding the recently announced plan to relocate one of NASA Wallops important operations.
(View Shore Daily News story:)
NASA Director addresses Accomack Board on transfer of P3 Aircraft to Langley - Shore Daily News
(Shore Daily News)
Travelers on Route 13 Tuesday afternoon may have noticed a massive cylinder being pulled northbound with a large caravan escorting it.
The tank is an LOX rocket fuel tank, which can hold 90,000 gallons of fuel, and it was making it’s way to Wallops to assist in future launches from the spaceport. Due to size, they were not able to go fast and required law enforcement escort.
Two tanks were transported by barge down the Mississippi River, through the Gulf of Mexico and around the southern tip of Florida and up the coast. They landed in Cape Charles on Saturday.
The second tank will be traveling northbound on Route 13 this afternoon (Thursday). It is scheduled to leave Cape Charles at 2:00 PM.
(Shore Daily News)
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(WBOC)
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More than 50 student and faculty teams are sending experiments into space as part of NASA’s RockOn and RockSat-C student flight programs. The annual student mission, “RockOn,” is scheduled to launch from Wallops Island, Virginia, on a Terrier-Improved Orion sounding rocket Thursday, June 20, with a launch window that opens at 5:30 a.m. EDT.
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NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility to Launch Student Experiments - NASA
(techcrunch.com)
NASA is kicking off a formal environmental assessment of its facilities on Wallops Island, Virginia, to increase the number of authorized rocket launches at the site by almost 200%, according to slides and recordings of an April 29 internal meeting viewed by TechCrunch.
(View article:)
NASA is expanding its Wallops Island facility to support three times as many launches | TechCrunch
"..complex mission that will deliver research experiments and technology demonstrations to orbit for the DoD and contribute to future space systems development."
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U.S. Space Force Awards Rocket Lab Launch Contract for Space Test Program (STP)-S30 | Business Wire
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NASA Wallops Supports Rocket Lab Launch for NRO From Virginia - NASA
Note:
The launch will be visible locally but none of the normal watch locations will be open for the launch.
(Shore Daily News)
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Virginia sends $20 million to space authority to expand launch operations - Shore Daily News
View 8/17 news story:
RockOn sounding rocket successfully launches from Wallops - Shore Daily News
