WALLOPS ISLAND, Virginia. July 15, 2026 – The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry recognized the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) STAR worksite designation with a flag-raising ceremony at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. A STAR designation means the organization meets the highest levels of worksite safety.

Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) Commissioner James Frederick and members of his VPP team presented the flag to Virginia Spaceport Authority (VSA) CEO & Executive Director Roosevelt Mercer, Jr., Major General, USAF (Ret.) and the VSA Safety team.

“Every successful launch depends on a team of highly skilled professionals working together with precision, and that same spirit of teamwork is evident in Virginia Spaceport Authority’s approach to workplace safety,” said Frederick. “Achieving Virginia STAR status demonstrates that safety is not simply a requirement here; it is a shared responsibility and a core organizational value.”

Administered by DOLI, VPP STAR, the program’s highest level of recognition, is “an elite designation that less than one percent of Virginia companies achieve,” said Roy Mason, Tidewater Region VPP Coordinator in his remarks during the ceremony. It recognizes organizations that have implemented exceptional safety and health management systems and demonstrate outstanding performance in preventing workplace injuries and illnesses, actively engage employees in safety initiatives, and continually improve safety culture.

“At VSA, safety is paramount,” said Mercer. “VSA’s employees operate and maintain the exquisite systems, launch pads and other facilities required to process and launch rockets and operate drones, during which a million things have to go right. I am proud to say that it is due to their diligence under the guidance of VSA’s exceptional Safety team that we have achieved this stellar designation.”

The Virginia Spaceport Authority (officially the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority) is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia. VSA owns and operates the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) located at Wallops Island, Va., USA. VSA provides assured access to space by operating, maintaining, and growing a premier spaceport, stimulating aerospace-related economic development in the Commonwealth, and promoting educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

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Media Contact:

Lillian Palmbach

Chief of External Relations

757- 837-3304

lillian.palmbach@vaspace.org

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