Wallops Island, Virginia. March 21, 2024 –Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket successfully launched from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on March 21, 2024. The NROL-123/Live & Let Fly mission is carrying three collaborative research missions on the rocket acquired through the National Reconnaissance Office’s Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket (RASR) contract. This launch marks the 4th Electron rocket launched from MARS since its inaugural launch from the spaceport in January 2023. “Outstanding efforts from everyone that was involved in this mission! There is no better way to start your day on the Eastern Shore of Virginia than with the sound of a countdown and the sight of a rocket launch. Feeling the rumble and seeing the horizon light up never gets old,” said Virginia Spaceport Authority CEO, Ted Mercer.    

The Virginia Spaceport Authority owns and operates the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. MARS offers three launch pads, an Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Airfield, the newest Payload Processing Facility (PPF) in the United States, and an Integration and Control Facility (ICF) to meet customer needs for launch, range testing, and research. The spaceport is FAA licensed for vertical launches to orbit and conducts business with NASA through a Space Act Agreement and IDIQ contract. 

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VSA Media Contact:

Lillian Palmbach, Chief of External Relations

lillian.palmbach@vaspace.org

757.837.3304