ACCOMACK COUNTY, Va. - The Accomack County Board of Supervisors has reversed course on a controversial request to rename the launch complex at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility after prominent aerospace leader A. Thomas Young.
Supervisors voted 5-4 Wednesday night to rescind a resolution approved unanimously just over a month earlier that asked NASA to rename the launch complex on Wallops Island in Young’s honor.
The reversal follows weeks of pushback from Eastern Shore residents who argued the Wallops name is an important part of the region’s history and identity.
The original resolution, approved July 15, asked NASA to honor Young “for his distinguished service” by renaming the launch complex on Wallops Island the A. Thomas Young Space Flight Facility. County officials later clarified the request applied only to the launch complex and not the entire Wallops Flight Facility.
Young, a Wachapreague native, had a decades-long career with NASA and the aerospace industry. His work included the Lunar Orbiter and Viking Mars programs, and he later served as director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. He also held executive positions with Martin Marietta and Lockheed Martin.
Opponents of the county’s request have repeatedly said they do not dispute Young’s accomplishments, but believe he can be honored without changing the Wallops name.
The board first considered a compromise Wednesday that would have stopped short of asking NASA to rename the launch complex.
Under the proposed amendment, Accomack County would instead have asked NASA officials to consider formally recognizing Young by adding his name to a suitable NASA facility or project located at or launched from Wallops Flight Facility.
That motion failed.
Supervisors then considered rescinding the July resolution altogether.
The final resolution rescinds the county’s July 15 request and says the Board of Supervisors will withhold a recommendation until NASA invites input as part of the agency’s own naming process. The resolution also makes clear that the reversal is not intended to diminish Young’s accomplishments or contributions to the nation’s space program.
The motion passed 5-4.
The controversy gained attention across Accomack County in recent weeks, with “Keep Wallops Wallops” signs appearing around the area and opponents organizing a petition asking supervisors to reconsider.
NASA previously told WBOC it was aware of Accomack County’s request and that the agency has an established process for considering the naming of major initiatives and facilities.
The Wallops name dates back centuries. NASA says Wallops Island was named after land was granted to John Wallop in the 1600s. The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, NASA’s predecessor, established a rocket launch site there in 1945. The site eventually became known as Wallops Flight Facility in 1981.
