Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority

Last updated
Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA)
Virginia Space and MARS Logos.png
Agency overview
FormedJuly 1, 1995 (1995-07-01)
Jurisdiction Commonwealth of Virginia
Headquarters4111 Monarch Way, Norfolk, VA 23508 (Headquarters)
7414 Atlantic Rd, Wallops Island, VA 23337 (MARS)
Agency executives
  • Ted Mercer, Executive Director
  • Sean Mulligan, Deputy Executive Director
  • Dan Givens, Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Director
Website vaspace.org
virginia.gov/agencies/virginia-commercial-space-flight-authority

The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA), [1] commonly known as Virginia Space, is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia focused on bringing commercial spaceflight to Virginia and providing education in aerospace technologies across the Commonwealth. Created in 1995 in the name of states’ rights by the Virginia General Assembly, Virginia Space owns and operates the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, located within the Wallops Flight Facility. [2]

Contents

History

The Virginia General Assembly created the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority in 1995 to promote the development of the commercial space flight industry, economic development, aerospace research, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education throughout the Commonwealth. [2]

Initially partnered with Old Dominion University, which helped develop the organization, longtime professor Dr. Billie M. Reed was installed as the Executive Director of the organization. [3] Prior to his time as a professor, he retired from the United States Navy after twenty years of service. [3] [4]

In 1997, Virginia Space entered into a Reimbursable Space Act Agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which provided for permitted use of land on NASA Wallops Island. Virginia Space also applied for and was granted a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) license to launch to orbit. [5] The Wallops Island location was first sanctioned in 1945 by NASA's predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, for spaceflight.

With these foundations in place, the Virginia Space Flight Center was founded, located on the southern portion of NASA Wallops Island. In present-day, the facility is approved for launch azimuths from 38° to 60°, making it an ideal location from which to launch to the International Space Station (ISS).

By the end of 2003, Governor Mark Warner and Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, respectively of Virginia and Maryland, partnered to establish the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), succeeding the Virginia Space Flight Center. [6] This was done, in part, to help develop the region's presence for space flight and collaboration with the local universities. [6] Senator Mikulski of Maryland was a long-time advocate for the advancement of this intra-state partnership during her time in office. [7] [8]

In 2007, NASA selected the Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corporation to participate in the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, followed by a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract to build and demonstrate a new rocket, Antares, to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). This project was taken over by Orbital's successor company Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems. The CRS contract authorized eight missions from 2012 to 2015 carrying approximately 20,000 kg of cargo to the ISS, as well as disposal of waste, from the MARS Pad-0A launchpad.

In March 2012, it was announced that Dr. Reed was going to retire from his role at Virginia Space, with Dale Nash, a former executive officer at Alaska Aerospace Corporation, set as his immediate successor. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

On MARS Pad-0B, Virginia Space made modifications and upgrades to launch the NASA Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission to the Moon in mid-2013 on a new Orbital Sciences Minotaur V launch vehicle. Also in mid-2013, the United States Air Force launched ORS-3 from MARS Pad 0B.

In October 2018, VCSFA entered into an agreement with the New Zealand-based Rocket Lab to build a new pad for their Electron rocket. [14] This was followed in 2021 by announcing their Neutron rocket will also be set to launch from the MARS facility. [15] [16] With their main launchpad located in the Māhia Peninsula of New Zealand, Rocket Lab refers to their MARS location as "Launch Complex 2." [17]

In 2021, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced the selection of Major General Roosevelt "Ted" Mercer (Retired) as the new Executive Director of Virginia Space, succeeding Dale Nash, who previously announced his retirement after working in that position since 2012. [18] [19] General Mercer took office in August 2021.

Facilities

The launch pad 0A with Antares rocket. At left is a water tower for supplying water for sound suppression. First Antares rocket on Launch Pad 0A of the Wallops Flight Facility.jpg
The launch pad 0A with Antares rocket. At left is a water tower for supplying water for sound suppression.

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport has two active launch pads. A third is actively under construction and is projected to be finished in Fall, 2019.

The launch pad 0B with Minotaur V rocket in September 2013. Ladee 9 4 13 nasa edge 0.jpg
The launch pad 0B with Minotaur V rocket in September 2013.

Launch pad 0A (LP-0A) was built for the Conestoga rocket, which made its only flight in 1995. [20] The launch tower was subsequently demolished in September 2008, [21] and has now been rebuilt for use by the Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems Antares. [22] The pad modifications for Antares included the construction of a Horizontal Integration Facility for launcher/payload mating and a wheeled transporter/erector that will "roll out and erect the rocket on its launch pad about 24 hours prior to launch". [22]

The facility suffered significant damage during the 28 October 2014 Antares launch failure, according to NASA officials in the immediate aftermath. [23] The Commonwealth of Virginia is seeking help from its two US Senators to obtain Federal funding for rebuilding the pad. Preliminary estimates for rebuilding the pad indicate the cost should be no more than US$20 million. [24] By May 2015, that estimate had been revised down to US$13 million and repairs were expected to be completed by September or October 2015 with the next planned launch in March 2016. [25] On September 30, 2015, the spaceport announced repairs on pad 0A had been completed. [26] The launch pad resumed flight operations with the successful Cygnus CRS OA-5 mission on October 17, 2016. [27]

Launch Pad 0B (LP-0B) became operational in 1999, [28] and was subsequently upgraded with the construction of a mobile service tower, which was completed in 2004. [29] It remains active, and is currently used by Minotaur rockets. Additionally, Vector Space Systems announced on October 19, 2017 that their upcoming Vector-R rocket will be conducting three launches in the next two years, with an option for 5 additional launches, from a mobile launcher at pad 0B. [30]

In October 2018, Virginia Space announced the construction on MARS Launch Pad 0C (also known as LP-0C or LC-2) and an associated integration facility for use by Rocket Lab for their Electron rocket. [31] The design is largely based on the company's Launch Complex 1 on the Māhia Peninsula of New Zealand. The first launch from this new launch complex is currently scheduled for the two-quarter 2020. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spaceport</span> Location used to launch and receive spacecraft

A spaceport or cosmodrome is a site for launching or receiving spacecraft, by analogy to a seaport for ships or an airport for aircraft. The word spaceport, and even more so cosmodrome, has traditionally been used for sites capable of launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth or on interplanetary trajectories. However, rocket launch sites for purely sub-orbital flights are sometimes called spaceports, as in recent years new and proposed sites for suborbital human flights have been frequently referred to or named "spaceports". Space stations and proposed future bases on the Moon are sometimes called spaceports, in particular if intended as a base for further journeys.

Orbital Sciences Corporation was an American company specializing in the design, manufacture and launch of small- and medium- class space and launch vehicle systems for commercial, military and other government customers. In 2014, Orbital merged with Alliant Techsystems to create a new company called Orbital ATK, Inc., which in turn was purchased by Northrop Grumman in 2018. The remnants of the former Orbital Sciences Corporation today are a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman known as Northrop Grumman Space Systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallops Flight Facility</span> American spaceport in Virginia

Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) is a rocket launch site on Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, United States, just east of the Delmarva Peninsula and approximately 100 miles (160 km) north-northeast of Norfolk. The facility is operated by the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and primarily serves to support science and exploration missions for NASA and other Federal agencies. WFF includes an extensively instrumented range to support launches of more than a dozen types of sounding rockets; small expendable suborbital and orbital rockets; high-altitude balloon flights carrying scientific instruments for atmospheric and astronomical research; and, using its Research Airport, flight tests of aeronautical research aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport</span> Commercial space launch facility

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) is a commercial space launch facility located at the southern tip of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island in Virginia, just east of the Delmarva Peninsula and south of Chincoteague, Virginia, United States. It is owned and operated by the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antares (rocket)</span> Medium-lift expendable rocket by Northrop Grumman

Antares, known during early development as Taurus II, is an expendable launch system developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation and the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau to launch the Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of NASA's COTS and CRS programs. Able to launch payloads heavier than 8,000 kg (18,000 lb) into low Earth orbit, Antares is currently the largest rocket operated by Northrop Grumman. Antares launches from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport and made its inaugural flight on April 21, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus (spacecraft)</span> Uncrewed cargo spacecraft developed by Orbital Sciences

Cygnus is an expendable American cargo spacecraft developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation and now manufactured and launched by Northrop Grumman Space Systems as part of NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program. It is launched by Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket or ULA's Atlas V and is designed to transport supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) following the retirement of the American Space Shuttle. Since August 2000, ISS resupply missions have been regularly flown by the Russian Progress spacecraft, as well as by the European Automated Transfer Vehicle, and the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle. With the Cygnus spacecraft and the SpaceX Dragon, NASA seeks to increase its partnerships with domestic commercial aviation and aeronautics industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0</span> Rocket launch complex on Wallops Island, Virginia, U.S.

Launch Pad 0 (LP-0), also known as Launch Complex 0 (LC-0), or Launch Area 0 (LA-0), is a launch complex at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, Virginia in the United States. MARS is located adjacent to NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), which ran the launch complex until 2003. WFF continues to provide various support services to MARS launches under contract with the Commonwealth of Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocket Lab</span> New Zealand and American private spaceflight company

Rocket Lab is a public American aerospace manufacturer and launch service provider, with a New Zealand subsidiary. The company operates lightweight Electron orbital rockets, which provide dedicated launches for small satellites. Rocket Lab also plans to build a larger Neutron rocket as early as 2024. Electron rockets have launched 26 times from either Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand or the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in the United States. Two attempts have been made at recovery of the Electron booster. As of 2022, Rocket Lab is developing the bigger Neutron reusable unibody rocket; Photon satellite buses; and Rutherford, Curie, HyperCurie, and Archimedes rocket engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus Orb-1</span> 2014 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

Orbital-1, also known as Orb-1, was the second flight of the Orbital Sciences Cygnus cargo spacecraft, its second flight to the International Space Station (ISS) and the third launch of the company's Antares launch vehicle. The mission launched on 9 January 2014 at 18:07:05 UTC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus Orb-2</span> 2014 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

Orbital-2, also known as Orb-2, was the third flight of the Orbital Sciences' uncrewed resupply spacecraft Cygnus, its third flight to the International Space Station, and the fourth launch of the company's Antares launch vehicle. The mission launched from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on 13 July 2014 at 16:52:14 UTC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antares A-ONE</span> 2013 American test spaceflight

Antares A-ONE mission was the maiden flight of Orbital Sciences Corporation' Antares launch vehicle including the ascent to space and accurate delivery of a simulated payload, the Cygnus Mass Simulator (CMS), which was launched 21 April 2013. It was launched from Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia. The simulated payload simulates the mass of the Cygnus cargo spacecraft. This dummy payload was sent into an orbit of 240 km × 260 km with an orbital inclination of 51.6°, the same launch profile it will use for Orbital's upcoming cargo supply missions to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander (satellite)</span>

Alexander, also known as PhoneSat 2.0 Beta or PhoneSat v2a is a technology demonstration satellite operated by NASA's Ames Research Center, which was launched in April 2013. Part of the PhoneSat programme, it was one of the first three PhoneSat spacecraft, and the first Phonesat-2.0 satellite, to be launched.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham (satellite)</span>

Graham, also known as PhoneSat 1.0a or PhoneSat v1a was a technology demonstration satellite operated by NASA's Ames Research Center, which was launched in April 2013. Part of the PhoneSat programme, it was one of the first three PhoneSat spacecraft to be launched.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus Orb-3</span> Failed resupply spaceflight to the ISS (2014)

Orbital-3, also known as Orb-3, was an attempted flight of Cygnus, an automated cargo spacecraft developed by United States-based company Orbital Sciences, on 28 October 2014. The mission was intended to launch at 22:22:38 UTC that evening. This flight, which would have been its fourth to the International Space Station and the fifth of an Antares launch vehicle, resulted in the Antares rocket exploding seconds after liftoff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocket Lab Electron</span> Two-stage small launch vehicle

Electron is a two-stage, partially recoverable orbital launch vehicle developed by Rocket Lab, an American aerospace company with a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary. Electron was developed to service the commercial small satellite launch market. Its Rutherford engines are the first electric-pump-fed engine to power an orbital-class rocket. Electron is often flown with a kickstage or Rocket Lab's Photon spacecraft. Although the rocket was designed to be expendable, Rocket Lab has recovered the first stage twice and is working towards the capability of reusing the booster. The Flight 26 (F26) booster has featured the first helicopter catch recovery attempt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vector-R</span> Launch vehicle

Vector-R is a two-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle under development by the American aerospace company Vector Launch to cover the commercial small satellite launch segment (CubeSats). Vector Launch went bankrupt in December 2019 and re-emerged in October 2020. Two prototypes were launched in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CAPSTONE</span> NASA satellite to test the Lunar Gateway orbit

CAPSTONE is a lunar orbiter that will test and verify the calculated orbital stability planned for the Lunar Gateway space station. The spacecraft is a 12-unit CubeSat that will also test a navigation system that will measure its position relative to NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) without relying on ground stations. It was launched on 28 June 2022, arrived in lunar orbit on 14 November 2022, and is scheduled to orbit for six months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus NG-15</span> 2021 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

NG-15, previously known as OA-15, was the fifteenth launch of the Northrop Grumman robotic resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its fourteenth flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA. The mission launched on 20 February 2021 at 17:36:50 UTC. This is the fourth launch of Cygnus under the CRS-2 contract.

Neutron is a medium-lift two-stage launch vehicle under development by Rocket Lab. Announced on 1 March 2021, the vehicle is being designed to be capable of delivering an 8,000 kg (17,600 lb) payload to low Earth orbit in a reusable configuration, and will focus on the growing megaconstellation satellite delivery market. The vehicle is expected to be operational sometime in 2024. It uses LOX and liquid methane propellant on both stages of the vehicle.

References

  1. ↑ "Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority | Virginia.gov". www.virginia.gov. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Virginia Gov" . Retrieved 2019-05-22.
  3. 1 2 "VIRGINIA SPACEPORT CHIEF TO RETIRE". Old Dominion University. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  4. ↑ "Dr. Billie Reed | The Space Show". www.thespaceshow.com. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  5. ↑ "Commercial Space Transportation License LSO-02-007" (PDF). FAA. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  6. 1 2 "Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport - MARS - Wallops Island Space Launch Facilities, Low Orbit Satellites". web.archive.org. 2006-02-13. Archived from the original on 2006-02-13. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  7. ↑ "CARDIN, MIKULSKI, VIRGINIA SENATORS URGE ADMINISTRATION TO SELECT MID-ATLANTIC REGION AS TEST RANGE FOR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS". U.S. Senator Ben Cardin. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  8. ↑ Cox, Jeremy. "Barbara Mikulski at Wallops: 'May the force be with us'". The Daily Times. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  9. ↑ "VIRGINIA SPACEPORT CHIEF TO RETIRE". Old Dominion University. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  10. ↑ "June 2012 – Parabolic Arc" . Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  11. ↑ "Profile | Dale Nash, Executive Director, Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority". SpaceNews. 2014-03-03. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  12. ↑ "Billie Reed, leaders of Virginia's commercial spaceport, is eyeing retirement - dailypress.com". web.archive.org. 2012-02-01. Archived from the original on 2012-02-01. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  13. ↑ "Dale Nash, Chief Executive, Alaska Aerospace Corp". SpaceNews. 2011-02-21. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  14. 1 2 "News".
  15. ↑ "Rocket Lab Spacecraft Confirmed for Mars as NASA Greenlights ESCAPADE Small Satellite Interplanetary Mission". Rocket Lab. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  16. ↑ Adkins, Jamie (2022-02-28). "NASA Wallops Welcomes Rocket Lab's Neutron to its Multi-User Facility". NASA. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  17. ↑ "Rocket Lab Opens Launch Complex 2, Confirms U.S. Air Force Payload as First Electron Mission from U.S. Soil". Rocket Lab. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  18. ↑ "Dale K. Nash, CEO and Executive Director of the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority, Announces His Retirement". www.vaspace.org. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  19. ↑ "Head of Virginia Space Will Be Retiring". doav.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  20. ↑ Wade, Mark. "Wallops Island LA0A". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  21. ↑ "Launch Tower Demolition". GMB. Archived from the original on 2009-02-21. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  22. 1 2 Kyle, Ed (2011-05-14). "Taurus 2". Space Launch Report. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
  23. ↑ Botelho, Greg (28 October 2014). "Unmanned NASA-contracted rocket explodes; damage is 'significant'". CNN. Retrieved 2014-10-28.
  24. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2014-11-21). "Virginia May Seek Federal Funds for Wallops Spaceport Repairs". Space News. Archived from the original on December 1, 2014. Retrieved 2014-12-01.
  25. ↑ Leone, Dan (May 15, 2015). "With $2 Million Left on Wallops Repair Bill, NASA and Virginia Look to Orbital ATK To Dig Deeper". Space News. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Completion Of Repairs at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0A". vaspace.org. September 30, 2015.
  27. ↑ Graham, William (17 October 2016). "Antares 230 successfully returns with launch of OA-5 Cygnus". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  28. ↑ "Facilities". Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. Archived from the original on October 16, 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  29. ↑ "Launch Pad 0-B" (PDF). Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 4, 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  30. ↑ "Vector to perform first orbital launches from Virginia - SpaceNews.com". SpaceNews.com. 2017-10-24. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
  31. ↑ Malik, Tariq (17 October 2018). "Rocket Lab Picks Virginia Spaceport As US Launch Site for Small Satellites". Space.com. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
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