Virginia Spaceport Has Hiring Growth

Virginia's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) is growing and is expected to start adding a few hundred jobs in support of commercial spaceport launch pad and support facilities construction for a lunar spaceprobe and several cargo missions to the International Space Station beginning in 2011. MARS is only one of four commercial spaceports with launch-to-orbit capability in the United States today.

Spaceport Support Services, a small prime contractor located in Selbyville Delaware, provides engineering services to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia and is now hiring an engineer to develop work process designs, cost estimates, and resolve problems involving both facilities and operations. Responsibilities include studying requirements to determine facility and functional responsibilities of workers, coordination, review and development of schedules and work plans, along with review and oversight of hazardous procedures to ensure worker and site safety.

Orbital Sciences Corporation is expected to hire several rocket scientists, engineers, and project managers to support the $1.9 billion NASA launch contract to re-supply cargo to the space stationin addition to the planned NASA-sponsored lunar mission. Virginia has issued $26-million in bonds to support a second commercial spaceport launch pad.

The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA) is now in the final process of hiring a new Deputy Director to assist in the rapidly growing commercial spaceport operations and launch pad construction. The job was announced some several weeks ago with the final hire expected to made within the next month. Dr. Billie Reed serves as the Executive Director of the VCSFA managing the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport operations. Reed is expected to hire other support staff in 2010.

The NASA Wallops Flight Facility recently engaged William Wrobel as the new director to advance the space agency's interests at the Virginia Eastern Shore facility. His background includes work with Orbital Sciences Corporation.