SpaceX is creating NASA spaceport congestion problems
NASA is considering expanding its Wallops Island, Virginia, facilities to support three times as many rocket launches, TechCrunch reports. Why does it need space for that many rockets? Mostly Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Launches by SpaceX and other private space exploration companies have been taking off in recent years.
Currently the Wallops Flight Facility authorizes 18 launches a year. The proposed additions could bring that number up to 52. Given that the U.S. had 116 launch attempts in all of last year, an additional 34 launches adds a lot more capacity in an increasingly lucrative space.
The space economy was already worth $564 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow another 41% in five years.
Currently the Wallops Flight Facility authorizes 18 launches a year. The proposed additions could bring that number up to 52. Given that the U.S. had 116 launch attempts in all of last year, an additional 34 launches adds a lot more capacity in an increasingly lucrative space.
The space economy was already worth $564 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow another 41% in five years.
