Went to Wallops Flight Facility today!

[Flymetothemun]

Today I've fulfilled a long-time dream and went to a NASA center. It wasn't anything like Kennedy or Houston, but it was something. It was the Wallops Flight Facility, and after learning about it I'd consider it one of the more interesting NASA facilities. Apparently they do loads of sounding rocket tests there and they've even launched Orbital Sciences craft from there. They say that they can also get a rocket ready to go within 6 months, which is REALLY interesting and impressive considering how much time it takes for other rockets. I even saw a Lockheed Martin office and Orbital Sciences office on the drive in!

I didn't take any pictures, sadly, but I wish I would have. I do have some of the handouts, and all of them are VERY interesting and informative, especially the ones they had about Orbital Sciences . They had a life-size model of the LADEE satellite, a small demonstration of satellite altimetry, and a little exhibit about George HW Bush and his military career at the Wallops facility when it was still a military base. Found out from the Bush exhibit that they also do aircraft carrier landing training at Wallops, and that they have portable versions of the lighting systems used on real carriers. Outside they had a lot of rockets, mostly tall, slender sounding rockets, but they also had the Little Joe 1-B there, which I thought was a Mercury rocket by the look of the capsule. Overall, I'd say that it's an overlooked NASA center, they've launched over 15,000 sounding rockets there and they're going on their 70th year. It also seems like they're one of the few NASA centers that are still launching rockets with the budget cuts and end of the shuttle program. Just thought I'd share about the whole experience, it was really cool and neat for a guy like me who's interested in space.

[Kryten]

Did you see the Antares pad (LP-0A)?

[Flymetothemun]

Did you see the Antares pad (LP-0A)?

No, I just went to the visitor's center, and all I could see was the airfield nearby, no launch pads were seen. Apparently they have 3 tracts of land that are separated somewhat.

EDIT:

In this image, I was at the "Main Base"

Edited June 9, 2015 by Flymetothemun

[LordFerret]

Nice! I've not been there yet. Shame on me.