Accomack County is at the forefront of aerospace innovation, anchored by the Wallops Island Aerospace Cluster and the rapidly expanding Wallops Complex. This strategic location, home to the NASA Wallops Flight Facility and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), is one of the most important hubs for space research, national defense, and commercial spaceflight in the United States.

Strategic Location

Wallops Island is uniquely situated along 63 miles of federally protected Atlantic coastline, offering unparalleled access to restricted airspace and launch zones. This eliminates the encroachment concerns that challenge other U.S. launch ranges and makes the area a prime location for both Department of Defense and NASA missions.

Wallops is home to:

• NASA’s only owned and operated launch range – supporting science, defense, and commercial launches.

• Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) – one of only four FAA-licensed orbital spaceports in the U.S., targeted for both government and commercial space missions.

• FAA UAS Test Site – through the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP), Wallops is one of six national test sites for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), driving the future of drone technology.

• NAVSEA Surface Combat Systems Center - a unique shore installation providing the best maritime and littoral environment, operational team, high-fidelity combat systems, and platform sensors.

Aerospace Ecosystem

The region hosts a growing network of aerospace companies, defense contractors, and research institutions. Companies like Orbital Sciences and Rocket Labs operate here under long-term NASA contracts worth over $1 billion, providing cargo missions to the International Space Station (NASA). Wallops’ infrastructure, including a full-length runway, R&D facilities, and payload processing centers, supports a wide range of operations from earth science to advanced exploration systems.

This thriving ecosystem is supported by a skilled regional workforce of engineers, technicians, and aerospace professionals, along with a pipeline of talent from local and regional universities and technical schools.

Workforce & Education

While Accomack County, on average, has a higher rate of high school and graduate degree attainment than much of rural Virginia, local partners recognize the opportunity to expand access to aerospace and defense careers. Regional education initiatives are underway to align training programs with in-demand occupations in aerospace manufacturing, systems engineering, and unmanned technologies. These high-paying jobs increasingly require technical and STEM-based degrees, and the Eastern Shore is responding with collaborative education-to-career pipelines.

The Aerospace Academy of the Eastern Shore is a testament to the region's commitment to building a strong talent pipeline in support of the aerospace industry. The Aerospace Academy of the Eastern Shore (AAES) is a College Partnership Lab School for students interested in aerospace-specific courses in engineering and data sciences throughout high school. The Aerospace Academy of the Eastern Shore (AAES), represents an innovative collaboration between Accomack County Public Schools (ACPS) and Northampton County Public Schools (NCPS), in partnership with Old Dominion University (ODU). Through this partnership, the AAES provides high school and dual-enrollment courses as part of the Eastern Shore Lab School, accessible virtually through a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning to support students in their home schools.

From space launch to coastal research and unmanned flight systems, Accomack County is leveraging its unmatched assets and public-private partnerships to support the next generation of aerospace growth. Wallops leadership, regional stakeholders, and the broader Virginia aerospace community are aligned in one mission to make Accomack County a launchpad for discovery, innovation, and opportunity.