Virginia, NASA Strike Deal for Spaceport Repairs After Rocket Exploded

More than nine months after an unmanned Orbital Sciences cargo rocket exploded over the launchpad at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on the Virginia coastline, Gov. Terry McAuliffe has announced a pair of agreements that may help prevent similar mishaps in the future.

The Commonwealth struck a deal with aerospace technology company Orbital ATK to provide funding for repairs to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) and insurance funds for future launches.

Repairs to MARS are expected to be completed by the fall, and their cost is estimated at approximately $15 million, according to a release out of the Governor’s office. That cost will be split evenly between Virginia Space, Orbital ATK and NASA.

Related: VIDEO — Rocket Exploded on NASA Launch Pad Moments After Liftoff

McAuliffe struck a separate deal with NASA for the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority to construct a 3,000-foot Unmanned Aircraft Systems runway at Wallops Island, which is expected to boost Virginia’s unmanned aircraft systems industry.

“The aerospace industry is a central part of my Administration’s efforts to create high-tech jobs and build a new Virginia economy,” McAuliffe said the release. “This agreement will strengthen the MARS facility and better protect taxpayers in the future. I am committed to supporting this industry and MARS, and look forward to a return to flight at this national asset.”

The Commonwealth’s Spaceport is one of only four sites licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration to launch rockets into orbit, giving Virginia a foothold in the aerospace industry few other states can claim.

Patch file photo