WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee, has announced the …
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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee, has announced the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 provides $20 million for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Wallops Island Flight Facility’s 21st Century launch complex.
The legislation has passed both the Senate and the House of Representatives and now heads to the White House to be signed into law by the President.
“As the nation’s only NASA-owned launch site, the Wallops Island Flight Facility is a centerpiece of our space and science infrastructure,” Chairwoman Mikulski said. “In Maryland, science is jobs. Scientific innovation creates jobs and economic growth through innovative products and new businesses. At Space Port Wallops, we see a close partnership between federal and state agencies along with the private sector working together to create jobs today and jobs tomorrow.”
Senator Mikulski is a long-time champion of the Wallops Island Flight Facility and for investments in science, technology, research and education that lead to American innovation and American jobs. Senator Mikulski has provided money to upgrade Wallops to make sure the facility remains first class and attracts new launch business. A total of $142 million has been appropriated since 2009 for infrastructure improvements at Wallops for NASA’s new generation of rockets, including a new launch pad, liquid fueling facility, horizontal integration facility, launch command center, launch facility protection and shoreline repairs after Hurricane Sandy. Senator Mikulski has also helped provide a total of $7 million since 2006 to bring broadband to the Eastern Shore by linking Wallops with the Patuxent Naval Air Station.
Wallops Island Flight Facility supports 1,525 high-tech jobs on the Eastern Shore. Work on the Antares rocket at Wallops brings $250 million in economic development in the form of new goods, services and contracts for small businesses.