AN EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATION OF THE

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

ORGANIZATION 0-11/12-67
SERIES

WALLOPSISLAND,VIRGINIA
Research at Wallops Station, established in 1945 Since 1945, Wallops station has launched more
on the Atlantic Coast of Virginia, is directed pri- than 6,000 research vehicles. Consisting of from
marily toward gathering information about earth's one to seven rocket stages, these vehicles are used
atmosphere and its near-space environment. In- to gather scientific information on the flight charac-
formation obtained as a result of Wallops research teristics of airplanes, launch vehicles and space-
is freely distributed to the world scientific com- craft and to increase our knowledge of the upper
munity. The station is located about 40 miles south- atmosphere and space environment. Some 300
east of Salisbury, Maryland. experiments are sent aloft each year. The launch

Aerial view of NASA's Wallops Island, Virginia, rocket launch site. A great many of this nation's international cooperative
rocket launchings are conducted here.
 vehicles used vary in size and power from the small
Arcas and Hasp meteorological rockets to the four-
stage Scout with orbital capability.
In addition to supporting rocket-propelled ex-
periments, Wallops uses its facilities for numerous
other research projects, such as space component
tests utilizing helicopter or aircraft drops; slow
speed landing techniques for jet aircraft; laser and
radar tracking of aircraft and satellites.
Wallops' mission includes management of several
NASA-sponsored projects, such as University Ex-
plorer satellites, the Experimental Inter-American
Meteorological Rocket Network (EXAMETNET), a
Bio-Space Technology Training Program, and imple-
mentation of remote site launching and tracking
facilities -for example, a Mobile Range Facility
and an Arctic launch site at Point Barrow, Alaska.
Most of the research and development work
performed at Wallops Station falls in the following
categories:

AERONAUTICAL RESEARCH
A considerable number of the experiments are
designed to obtain scientific information on the
flight characteristics of vehicles and spacecraft and
aerodynamic data related to aerospace flight. For
example, experiments in the reentry physics pro-

A Scout rocket vehicle on its launching

stand is ready for firing.

Wallops Station, Virginia, overall site

map indicating highway approaches to
this NASA Atlantic coast rocket station.
gram are flown on the Scout vehicle and other
multistage configurations. Data are being obtained
for design, construction, and instrumentation of
manned spacecraft of the Apollo type to be used in
lunar and interplanetary missions, and which will
reenter the atmosphere at much greater speeds
than earth-orbiting vehicles.
COMPONENTS AND SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
Many of the experiments launched at Wallops fall
in the category of basic testing and development
of components, systems, subsystems, and instru-
mentation to be flown in later types of vehicles and
spacecraft. For example, a number of small-scale
and full-scale Project Mercury capsules were sci-
entifically investigated and/or tested at Wallops in
1959-1961 in support of NASA's manned space
craft program, before the astronauts were launched
from Cape Kennedy.
In 1959 and 1960, a series of 100-feet diameter
inflatable spheres made of thin mylar plastic (about
half the thickness of the cellophane on a package
of cigarettes) and coated with aluminum were
launched from Wallops Island in suborbital flights
to test the feasibility and performance of inflatable
spheres as passive communications satellites.
These flights were in preparation for the success~
. hydrogen upper stages designed to coast in orbit
ful launching of the Echo I Satellite from Cape
Kennedy on August 12, 1960, and Echo lion
January 25, 1964.
In October 1962 an experiment was conducted
to check out some of the instruments programmed
for the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO)
Satellite, scheduled for later launch.
In 1961 experiments were conducted at Wallops
to test equipment to be flown in the Topside
Sounder Satellites of the United States and Canada.
These satellites measure the characteristics of the
upper ionosphere by sending pulsed radio signals
from above (topside sounding), as compared with
the previous method of ionospheric sounding by
sending from ground stations radio signals which
are reflected back from the lower ionosphere.
On August 18, 1964, a reentry experiment was
flown on a Scout vehicle to test heat shield material
being considered for use on the Apollo spacecraft.
On June 7, 1966, an experiment was conducted
to study the behavior of liquids under zero gravity
conditions. Designated the Weightless Analysis
Sounding Probe (WASP), the 1,500-pound payload
consisted of a scale model of a liquid hydrogen fuel
tank. Two smaM TV c;:ameras, extended on 5-foot
booms, televised pictures of the behavior of the
liquid (ethyl alcohol) under zero-g. Data from this
experiment are used in launch vehicle development
programs of Centaur and Saturn which have liquid
and then restart their engines.
SOUNDING ROCKETS
Much of the Wallops research effort is in support
of the national sounding rocket program. Sounding
rdckets fly in nearly vertical trajectories, carrying
packages of. scientific instruments to heights of
from 40 to several hundred or even thousands of
miles above the earth's surface. Their effective life-
time is usually only a few minutes, until they drop
back to earth. All of the scientific data which the
vehicle and its payload will make available must be
collected in this brief period.
Sounding rockets are used primarily to fill the
gap for obtaining data between the balloon level
(about 20 miles altitude maximum) and the satellite
level.
Wallops Station also renders assistance in
meteorological and space research to other Govern-
ment agencies, including the Atomic Energy Com-
mission, the Department of Commerce Environ-
mental Science Servlces Administration, and t~e
Department of Defense; to research groups in indus-
 Illustrated is one of Wallops Station's
several telemetry antennas used to
receive signals from NASA experiments
in space.

try and colleges and universities, and to scientific
groups and Government space agencies in other
countries.
In addition, Wallops plays a major role in NASA's
program of international cooperation in space re-
search. Some 50 countries have sent representa-
tives to Wallops Station over the past few years to
observe its operations or seek assistance in estab-
lishing a sounding rocket launch facility of their
own. Several of these countries have conducted
their experiments at Wallops for launching. Others
have sent technical personnel here for training in
methods and techniques of launching sounding
rocket and satellite payloads. Wallops, in turn, has
provided technical- assistance to countries in the
selection and construction of their own launch
sites and in the launching of their first experi-
ments.
SMALL SCIENTIFIC SATELLITES
Wallops also has the capability for launching
small scientific satellites, using the four-stage
solid-fueled Scout launch vehicle. Eleven satellites
have been placed in orbit (mid-1967), including
several in the Explorer series, the United Kingdom's
Ariel II, and the Italian San Marco ,.
TRACKING AND DATA ACQUISITION
In addition to tracking experiments launched at
Wallops, the station also is engaged in tracking and
data acquisition functions for experiments launched
elsewhere. These include the weather satellites, the
Echo communications satellites, the Beacon Ex-
plorer satellites, the Atlas-Centaur and Saturn tests,
and others.
Wallops Island is separated from mainland Vir-
ginia, by two miles of marsh and inland waterway.
It is connected to the mainland by a causeway
and bridge. The island, approximately six miles
long and one-half mile in width at its widest point,
takes its name from John Wallop, a 17th century
surveyor. The launch sites, assembly shops, block-
houses, dynamic balancing facilities, some rocket
storage buildings, and related facilities, are located
on the island. Wallops Mainland Station Base occu-
pies a 2,200-acre site about six miles northwest
of Wallops Island. Located there are Administrative
offices, technical service support shops, a rocket
inspection and storage area, Range Control Center,
Main telemetry station and a weather satellite
tracking station owned and operated by ESSA
(Environmental Science Services Administration).
DIRECTOR:MR. ROBERT L. KRIEGER
Wallops Station
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Wallops Island, Virginia 23337

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