NASA Expands Wallops Island Facility to Triple Launch Capacity

NASA's plan to expand its facilities on Wallops Island, Virginia, aims to nearly triple the number of authorized rocket launches at the site. This move comes as a response to the growing congestion at the nation's other spaceports, driven largely by SpaceX's rapid increase in launch capacity. With companies like Rocket Lab, Relativity, Blue Origin, and others preparing to introduce new rockets in the coming years, the strain on existing launch sites is expected to intensify further.

The expansion plans for Wallops Island have likely been under consideration by NASA officials for some time. Following Rocket Lab's inaugural Electron launch from the site in 2022, agency representatives indicated that private companies' interest in launching from Wallops was significant. While these plans would eventually be disclosed as part of the Environmental Assessment (EA) process, the recent revelations mark the first time the extent of the proposed changes has been made public.The Wallops Island Southern Expansion Environmental Assessment (WISE EA) will delve into the potential ramifications of significantly increasing annual launches from 18 to 52. This study will also assess other crucial alterations to the site, such as water barge landings of rocket first stages and on-site storage of liquid methane, a novel rocket fuel.

To comprehensively understand the effects of these changes, NASA will collaborate with contractors tasked with conducting acoustic analyses and evaluating impacts on air emissions, as well as on marine and local wildlife.The analysis will also evaluate the potential construction of up to four new launch pads and the introduction of a suborbital launcher capable of up to 30 firings per year.The proposed increase in launches and the allowance of new fuel mixes are particularly significant. Currently, only six of the 18 annual launches permitted at WFF involve liquid-fueled rockets, with the remaining 12 utilizing solid-propellant rockets. For instance, Rocket Lab's Electron launcher, which operates from Wallops, relies on a combination of liquid oxygen and RP-1, a refined form of kerosene.

The new assessment would raise the annual launch limit to 52 and permit the use of methalox, a rocket fuel composed of liquid oxygen and liquid methane, in addition to traditional propellant types. Methalox has emerged as the preferred propellant for next-generation rockets, including SpaceX’s Starship, Rocket Lab’s Neutron, Relativity Space’s Terran R, and Blue Origin’s New Glenn.The proposed expansion is driven by the increased launch cadence from companies like Rocket Lab and Relativity. Although Relativity has not publicly announced plans to launch from Wallops, both companies were listed as participating agencies in the expansion proposal.

Wallops Island has become integral to Rocket Lab's strategy to introduce Neutron to the market by the end of this year. In 2022, Rocket Lab revealed that it had chosen WFF as the future site for Neutron's inaugural launch pad and production facility, solidifying its commitment to the island's future. Rocket Lab's plans for Neutron also include the booster landing on a barge at sea downrange.One slide in Miller's presentation illustrates a launch forecast for WFF through 2032. While it's unclear whether the data on the slide originated from private companies or NASA's internal estimates, it suggests approximately five annual Neutron flights per year through 2030. Additionally, the forecast indicates around five launches of Firefly and Northrop's MLV by that date.

Environmental assessments play a crucial role in ensuring that NASA and its commercial partners comply with environmental regulations, particularly concerning air emissions, acoustic impacts, and effects on local wildlife. These assessments also provide an opportunity for input from stakeholders, including the public, which is vital for transparency and accountability.For companies like Rocket Lab, Firefly Space, and Northrop Grumman, which are developing a medium launch vehicle, having an environmental assessment in place is essential. It helps them navigate regulatory requirements and ensures responsible stewardship of the environment.

While NASA completed a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) for the Wallops site in 2019, the anticipated growth in activity on the island exceeds the scope analyzed in that document. Some proposed actions, such as water barge landings of rockets, were not addressed in the 2019 assessment. As a result, NASA is conducting a "written re-evaluation" of the PEIS to determine if additional environmental assessments are necessary, particularly for actions like the storage of liquid methane and authorization of static fire tests of methalox engines at WFF.

The full Wallops Island Southern Expansion Environmental Assessment (WISE EA) process is expected to take approximately eighteen months, with the final document projected to be published in December 2025. This comprehensive assessment will provide a thorough understanding of the environmental impacts associated with the proposed changes and ensure that appropriate mitigation measures are implemented.