Skip to main content

NASA launches rocket from Wallops Island

By WTOP Staff

Hank Silverberg, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – A high-speed U.S. Navy Stiletto boat is attempting to retrieve an Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiment NASA launched at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

A rocket with the inflatable heat shield blasted off just after 7 a.m. Monday.

From launch to splashdown, the flight on the Black Brant XI sounding rocketlasted about 20 minutes, according to NASA.

The flight was conducted to test a tracking system and the inflatable heat shield.

The heat shield splashed down off the coast of North Carolina.

Wallops Island has been launching rockets since the 1940s, but business has been picking up there since NASA started hiring private companies for space missions.

Many more missions are planned from Wallops Island. Some of the large rockets may be visible from the Fredericksburg area and possibly as far north as Washington.

NASA TV has video of its launches.

Follow Hank and WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Emergency guide: What you should do to prepare for emergencies

By WTOP Staff
WASHINGTON — Do you know what you'd do if an emergency hits? What if you're at work, your spouse is stuck in traffic and your children are in school? There's no way to plan for every emergency, but you can make sure you're prepared for different scenarios, including making a plan for your family and building a kit of emergency supplies.
Read Next Story

Related News

Cards, gifts cross religious lines

Mind your mouth: How oral health affects overall health

5 questions to ask before buying a winter home