Capabilities and Facilities
Research Facilities |
Research Airport |
Launch Range |
Control Center |
Machine Shop
Engineering |
Institutional Services |
Safety |
Environmental
Capabilities
Wallops Flight Facility offers academic, government and commercial organizations state-of-the-art facilities and the expertise of our people.
With more than 50 years experience conducting suborbital projects, our staff are the experts. We`re highly skilled in engineering, radar, project management, mobile campaigns and so much more. Our staff includes scientists, photographers, pilots, project managers and technicians. Whether operating our onsite instrumentation or traveling the world with our unique mobile facilities, we support researchers wherever the science takes them.
Wallops' permanent facilities support NASA's Sounding Rocket and Balloon Programs. We also track NASA`s Space Shuttle missions using our communications, telemetry and radar facilities.
Our launch range and research airport have access to virtually unrestricted airspace. The Wallops restricted area (R-6604) connects Wallops and the Mid-Atlantic Test Range warning area. An extended area can be coordinated with governing agencies to meet specific mission requirements. Because of our location, air traffic is minimal.
Wallops offers a wide array of launch vehicle trajectory options. In general, we can accommodate launch azimuths between 90 and 160 degrees depending on impact ranges. For most orbital vehicles, this translates into orbital inclinations between 38 and approximately 60 degrees. Trajectory options outside of these launch azimuths, including polar and sun-synchronous orbits, can be achieved by in-flight azimuth maneuvers.
We welcome researchers from academia, the private sector and government agencies. Two commercial launch pads provide support to commercial clients through the Virginia Space Flight Center that resides at Wallops and our research airport supports aircraft-launched rockets. We also support our many customers with a variety of services and facilities during the planning, execution and data analysis phases of their projects.