Latest Spaceports Stories

Virginia legislators are proposing a tax break for residents who want their remains launched into space when they pass. The legislation is being proposed in part to boost the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, and to also boost the economy in general. The General Assembly is set to debate the proposal next year, which could provide a state income tax deduction of up to $8,000 effective from 2013 to 2020 for those wishing to be buried in space. “I know there's a giggle...

CENTENNIAL, Colo., Dec. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- United Launch Alliance was formed just five years ago, bringing together the world's two most experienced launch teams and two highly reliable launch systems, Atlas and Delta. ULA's unparalleled recipe of experience is built on the Atlas and Delta legacy of 1,300 launches during the past five decades, propelled by ULA employees and suppliers located in 46 states. ULA's impressive record of success lies in the 56 successful launches...

NASA is accepting applications from graduate and undergraduate university students to fly experiments to the edge of space on a scientific balloon. This balloon flight competition is a joint project between NASA and the Louisiana Space Consortium (LaSPACE) in Baton Rouge. NASA is targeting fall 2012 for the next flight opportunity for the LaSPACE maintained High Altitude Student Platform (HASP) facility. HASP is a balloon-borne instrument stack that provides an annual near-space flight...

Virgin Galactic and U.S. officials dedicated the world's first built-from-scratch commercial spaceport on Monday. Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic, rappelled from a balcony, shook up a bottle of champagne and christened the spaceport during the event. “Today is another history-making day for Virgin Galactic,” Branson said during the ceremony. “We are here with a group of incredible people who are helping us lead the way in creating one of the most important new...

Do you follow NASA on Twitter (http://twitter.com/NASA) or "like" the space agency on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/NASA)? If so, NASA invites you to register for a behind-the-scenes tour of its Wallops Flight Facility. NASA will host a total of 50 social media guests from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. EDT on Friday, Oct. 21 in Wallops Island, Virginia. It is the first NASA Tweetup at which registration is open to both the agency's Twitter followers and Facebook fans and their guests....

Media accreditation for the launch of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover is open. Liftoff aboard an Atlas V rocket from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida is targeted for Nov. 25 at 10:21 a.m. EST. International media representatives without U.S. citizenship must apply for credentials by Oct. 18 because the U.S. Air Force requires 30 days to process those requests. For U.S. journalists, the application deadline is Nov. 18. All media...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Do you follow NASA on Twitter or "like" the space agency on Facebook? If so, NASA invites you to register for a Tweetup and behind-the-scenes tour of its Wallops Flight Facility. NASA will host 50 social media guests from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT on Oct. 21 at the facility in Wallops Island, Va. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO) It is the first NASA Tweetup with registration open to the agency's Twitter...

Journalists are invited to a roundtable discussion at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 16, with NASA's Space Technology Program Director Michael Gazarik during his visit to the agency's Wallops Flight Facility at Wallops Island, Va. Robert Strain, director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and Wallops Director Bill Wrobel, will join Gazarik for the event. They will discuss Wallops' important role in the Space Technology Program and in the development of new...

  NASA's work to help develop the next generation of commercial space transportation systems reached another significant achievement yesterday with the arrival at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia of the Cygnus Pressurized Cargo Module, Orbital Science Corp.'s spacecraft to carry supplies to the International Space Station. "This is one more important step in our partnership with U.S. private industry to build safe, reliable and cost effective cargo transportation systems," said...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA's work to help develop the next generation of commercial space transportation systems reached another significant achievement yesterday with the arrival at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia of the Cygnus Pressurized Cargo Module, Orbital Science Corp.'s spacecraft to carry supplies to the International Space Station. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO) "This is one more important step in our partnership...