History

From Submarines to Space: The Story of the Wallops Flight Facility

Protecting the Coast During World War II

As the United States entered World War II, German submarines posed a significant threat along the East Coast, with two merchant ships torpedoed off Assateague Island in 1942. In response, the U.S. Army established small outposts in Accomac and Chincoteague to defend the shoreline. A year later, the U.S. Navy founded the Chincoteague Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) on the mainland, across from Chincoteague Island. 

This strategic location was ideal for training torpedo bomber and fighter pilots, preparing them for missions against enemy submarines. Among those who trained at Chincoteague was George Herbert Walker Bush, the future 41st President of the United States, who famously made headlines for "buzzing" the house of a girl he liked after meeting her at a dance.

Post-War Innovation and the Birth of Wallops Island as a Research Hub

Following World War II, the Chincoteague NAAS transitioned into a research and testing facility, becoming home to the Naval Aviation Ordnance Test Station (NAOTS) in 1946. This facility played a key role in the development of guided missiles, including the Sidewinder and Regulus, while supporting Cold War military operations such as anti-submarine patrols and advanced technology testing.

At the same time, in 1945, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the predecessor to NASA, established the Pilotless Aircraft Research Station at Wallops Island. This site was chosen for its isolated location and unobstructed launch range over the Atlantic Ocean, making it an ideal supplement to wind tunnel and laboratory investigations into high-speed flight aerodynamics. Named after John Wallop, an Englishman who received a land grant for the area in the 1600s, Wallops Island quickly became a hub for rocket and missile research.

Under the direction of Robert Gilruth, the Pilotless Aircraft Research Division (PARD) was established on May 7, 1945, at Wallops. The facility conducted critical missile stabilization and guidance system tests, including projects like Tiamat, Gorgon, and Bell Rascal, while rocket-propelled models such as the RM-10 provided crucial data on drag and stability at transonic and supersonic speeds. By 1946, the PARD was already testing rocket-launched X-2 models at Wallops to gather stability and control data, which later contributed to the development of a pilot escape system for the X-2.

A key figure in the early development of Wallops was Robert L. Krieger, who served as the facility’s first director from 1946 to 1959. Krieger played a pivotal role in expanding Wallops’ research capabilities, overseeing the launch of thousands of sounding rockets and pioneering work in aerodynamics and propulsion systems. His leadership helped solidify Wallops as a premier research site for high-speed flight and missile development.

Wallops became known for pioneering supersonic inlets and ramjets, with Maxime E. Faget designing a ramjet-powered flight test vehicle in 1950. This vehicle reached 65,000 feet and a speed of Mach 3.2, setting unofficial speed and altitude records for air-breathing engines. Between 1947 and 1949, PARD launched at least 386 rocket models, leading to Gilruth’s first technical report on rocketry in 1947. Throughout the 1950s, PARD continued advancing rocket technology, culminating in America’s first four-stage rocket launch on October 14, 1954, and the world’s first five-stage solid-fuel rocket in 1956, which reached Mach 15.

Joseph A. Shortal, an aerospace engineer and historian, documented much of Wallops’ early history in his multi-volume work A New Dimension: Wallops Island Flight Test Range – The First Fifteen Years 1945-1960. Shortal’s detailed accounts of launch operations, technological advancements, and research programs provide valuable insight into Wallops’ contributions to aeronautics and spaceflight. His work remains a key historical reference for understanding the facility’s impact on early rocketry.

SCOUT: From Sounding Rocket to Orbital Launch Vehicle

One of the most significant achievements of Wallops was the development of the Scout rocket, which began as a sounding rocket before evolving into a fully orbital launch vehicle. Originally conceived by PARD engineers at Wallops in 1956, Scout was designed to be a small, inexpensive, solid-fuel rocket for suborbital research and atmospheric testing. However, as rocketry and spaceflight ambitions grew, engineers realized that Scout’s multi-stage solid-propellant design had the potential to launch small satellites into orbit.

By 1957, PARD had begun exploring ways to advance solid-rocket motor technology for achieving orbital velocity, working closely with Aerojet Corporation to refine the design. The result was a four-stage solid-fuel rocket capable of placing payloads into low Earth orbit (LEO). In 1958, the program was officially adopted by NASA, which was newly formed that same year.

On July 16, 1960, Scout became the first all-solid-fuel rocket to place a satellite into orbit, successfully launching Explorer 9. This achievement marked Scout as one of NASA’s most reliable and versatile small launch vehicles. Over the following decades, Scout rockets launched numerous scientific, meteorological, and military satellites, proving to be a cost-effective alternative to larger launch vehicles.

NASA Takes Over: From Missiles to Manned Spaceflight

With the formation of NASA in 1958, Wallops Island entered a new era of space research. The Pilotless Aircraft Research Station was renamed Wallops Station and placed under NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. In 1959, NASA acquired the former Chincoteague Naval Air Station, relocating engineering and administrative activities there to support its expanding space programs.

Wallops played a critical role in Project Mercury, NASA’s first manned spaceflight program. Between 1959 and 1961, Little Joe booster tests at Wallops were used to qualify key spacecraft components, including escape mechanisms, recovery procedures, and life support technology. Notably, two rhesus monkeys, Sam and Miss Sam, were launched and safely recovered, helping validate life support systems for future astronauts.

A Growing Legacy in Aerospace and Commercial Launches

By the 1970s, Wallops had established itself as a key part of NASA’s spaceflight infrastructure. In 1974, it was renamed Wallops Flight Center, reflecting its expanded role in aeronautical and space research, before being integrated into Goddard Space Flight Center as Wallops Flight Facility in 1981. Over the decades, Wallops expanded beyond high-speed flight and missile research to include atmospheric and space studies, launching over 16,000 research rockets to investigate the Earth’s upper atmosphere and space environment.

Beyond rocket launches, Wallops has played a vital role in high-altitude balloon research, supporting studies in climate science, astrophysics, and atmospheric dynamics. These scientific balloons, capable of reaching over 120,000 feet, provide cost-effective methods for gathering data from near-space environments.

The transformation of Chincoteague NAAS and Wallops Island from a wartime defense outpost into a cutting-edge aerospace research facility highlights its enduring legacy in national defense and space exploration. What began as a naval training ground evolved into a center for aerospace innovation, supporting both scientific discovery and national security. From protecting America’s shores during World War II to advancing manned spaceflight and commercial launches, Wallops Flight Facility remains at the forefront of scientific and technological progress.

A Hub for Commercial Spaceflight

Wallops has also played a major role in commercial spaceflight, beginning in the 1990s with the launch of Conestoga, America’s first privately funded rocket to reach space. Although the Conestoga program was short-lived, it set a precedent for future commercial launch activities at Wallops. The facility later became home to Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket, a key component of NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program for the International Space Station. Antares launches from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at Wallops, delivering supplies and experiments to astronauts aboard the ISS.

In recent years, Rocket Lab selected Wallops as a launch site for its Electron and Neutron rockets. The Electron rocket, designed for small satellite missions, made its first launch from Wallops in 2023, expanding the facility’s role in the growing small-satellite launch industry. Rocket Lab’s Neutron rocket, currently under development, aims to provide medium-lift capability, further solidifying Wallops’ position as a hub for commercial spaceflight.

Continued Contributions to Science and Spaceflight

Wallops’ legacy continues to grow through ongoing partnerships in commercial spaceflight, scientific research, and orbital launches. As both a historic site and a forward-looking aerospace center, Wallops remains essential to national defense, space exploration, and technological advancement. With its expanding role in government and private-sector missions, the facility continues to shape the future of aerospace innovation.

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