Governor McAuliffe Announces Multi-Year Contract for Commercial Space Flight in Virginia
NASA awards contract to Orbital ATK to launch payloads from Wallops Island spaceport
RICHMOND - Governor Terry McAuliffe, along with U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, announced today NASA awarded a new multiyear contract to Orbital ATK, a Virginia based company, to deliver cargo and supplies to the International Space Station from spaceports, including the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) located at Wallops Island.
"This is a big win for Virginia and space exploration," said Governor McAuliffe. "As a result of collaboration with our federal partners in NASA and our congressional delegation, NASA will continue an important contract that brings our state to the national forefront in the commercial space business, creating jobs and strengthening Virginia’s new economy. We have a come a long way in the last year. MARS has fully recovered from the October 2014 launch mishap, repaired damaged portions of the spaceport and the state reached an agreement with Orbital regarding repair costs and insurance coverage. MARS is open for business and the return to space flight."