Space Access From Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS)


NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) is ideally located for providing access to mid-latitude orbits and offers a wide array of launch vehicle trajectory options. The coastline of Wallops Island is oriented such that a launch azimuth of 135° is perpendicular to the shoreline. In general, launch azimuths between 90° and 160° can be achieved, depending on impact ranges. For most orbital vehicles, this translates into orbital inclinations between 38° and approximately 60°. Trajectory options outside of these launch azimuths, including polar and sun-synchronous orbits, can be achieved by in-flight azimuth maneuvers.