WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. - Rocket lab has selected Accomack County as the location for its manufacturing facility and neutron launchpad. The neutron rocket has an 8 ton payload and is reusable. The manufacturing facility is 250,000 square feet and sits just outside the Wallops gate. Rocketlab says the new project will create 250 jobs and economic leaders like Stella Rohde say the impacts will be felt by local businesses and the tourism sector.
“There are always people that come here to see the rocket launch so that goes into tourism because they rent rooms at motels and they eat and they stay a couple days and they tour around and see what the Eastern shore is,” Rohde
The manufacturing facility is expected to increase the frequency of launches too. Accomack County Supervisor Ron Wolff says the number of launches can double.
“The increased amount of rocket launches here at Wallops is going to double, from about 10 to 15 to about 25 to 30 rockets per year,” Wolff said.
Local businesses will also see the impacts of a new facility. Jessica Hall works at Ocean Deli Pizza, the closest restaurant to the launch site, and says the store is usually busy in the days leading up to a launch, but the new manufacturing building will ensure a steady stream of customers.
“The manufacturing plant is going to have more employees so we are going to have more client intel coming into the restaurant on a daily basis not rather than when we just have these rocket launches,” Hall said.
Rocket Lab says they expect to start construction on the Neutron Complex soon, but would not give an exact date. Ron Wolff says he hopes the project is complete in one to two years.