Rocket Lab selects Virginia’s Eastern Shore for rocket launch site

Image: Rocket Lab

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. – Rocket Lab USA, Inc. has selected Wallops Island as the location for its launch site and extensive manufacturing and operations facilities for its Neutron rocket.

We’re told Rocket Lab will launch the Neutron from a new Virginia Space-owned launch pad that will be located within the NASA Wallops Flight Facility and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. This 250,000-square foot state-of-the-art complex will be built on a site adjacent to the Wallops Island Flight Facility, which was purchased by the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority last year. This will create up to 250 new jobs, including engineers, technicians, and support staff.

This new complex for the Neutron will be located within proximity of Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 2, which is the company’s first launch site in the U.S. It was built specifically for the Electron rocket, which is the second-most frequently launched U.S. rocket manually since 2019.

Virginia Governor Glenn Younkin released the following statement on the announcement:

“Virginia’s industrial and innovation ecosystem and skilled workforce make the Commonwealth an optimal location for industry leaders like Rocket Lab. This important project reinforces the Eastern Shore’s legacy as an aerospace hub that offers the infrastructure for manufacturing and developing new technologies, and we look forward to a long partnership with Rocket Lab.”