What launches from Wallops?

Wallops flies NASA's long-running sounding-rocket programme alongside orbital launches: Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo missions to the ISS on the Antares rocket from Pad 0A, Minotaur vehicles from Pad 0B, and Rocket Lab's Electron from Launch Complex 2.

Can you watch a launch from Wallops?

The NASA Wallops Visitor Center is the designated public viewing area and posts information for each flight. Nearby Chincoteague and the Assateague seashore also give open-horizon views across the water.

What was the first orbital launch from Wallops?

The first orbital launch from Wallops was TacSat-2, on an Orbital Sciences Minotaur in December 2006. Wallops later launched LADEE, the first deep-space mission to fly from Virginia, in 2013.

Launches from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Name: Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA
Address: US

Upcoming and past rocket launches from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA — live countdowns, mission details, and launch history.

About Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore is the agency's own launch range, operating since 1945 and managed through Goddard Space Flight Center. Alongside NASA's long-running sounding-rocket programme, it hosts the commercial Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS).

Northrop Grumman launches the Antares rocket with Cygnus cargo ships to the International Space Station from MARS Pad 0A, Minotaur vehicles fly government payloads from Pad 0B, and Rocket Lab operates Electron from Launch Complex 2.

Launch sitePublic viewing spot

Facts

Timezone: America/New_York
Total launches: 87
Total landings: 0
Coordinates: 37.9333, -75.4678
Operator: NASA (Goddard Space Flight Center)
Active since: 1945
Active pads: Pad 0A (Antares), Pad 0B (Minotaur), LC-2 (Rocket Lab Electron)

Launch pads

Launch Area 0 A19
Launch Area 3A18
Launch Area 313
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 (Launch Area 0 C)13
Launch Area 0 B8
Unknown Pad8
Launch Area 17
Launch Area 41
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 3 (Launch Area 0 D)0

Where to watch

The NASA Wallops Visitor Center is the designated public viewing area and posts launch information for each flight. Nearby Chincoteague and the Assateague seashore also give open-horizon views across the water.

NASA Wallops Visitor Center
The official public viewing site on VA-175, roughly 7–10 miles from the Wallops Island pads.
Chincoteague Island
Harbour and eastern-shore vantage points across the bay, around 9–12 miles from the pads.
Assateague Island National Seashore
Oceanfront and bay-side beaches east of Wallops with clear horizons, about 10–15 miles out.

Notable launches

TacSat-2
16 Dec 2006
The first orbital launch from Wallops, on an Orbital Sciences Minotaur I.
LADEE
6 Sep 2013
Minotaur V · OSC
NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer — the first deep-space mission launched from Virginia, on a Minotaur V.
View launch details
Cygnus Orb-D1
18 Sep 2013
Antares 110 · OSC
The Antares/Cygnus demonstration flight that began commercial cargo runs to the ISS from Wallops.
View launch details