NASA Wallops to support U.S. Navy Sounding Rocket launch Thursday

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility is scheduled to support a sounding rocket launch Thursday morning as part of a U.S. Navy Fleet Training Live Fire exercise.

NASA announced Wednesday that the Oct. 1 launch could be visible from the immediate Wallops area. The agency will not provide real-time launch status updates or a livestream for the mission.

Maritime safety notices establish a launch window from 7:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Thursday. A U.S. Coast Guard notice advises mariners of several hazard areas extending southeast from Wallops into the Atlantic Ocean. The most distant safety areas extend hundreds of miles offshore.

An FAA Notice to Air Missions also reserves airspace associated with the operation during the same period.

The operation has drawn additional interest because the FAA notice reportedly uses the mission name “Yahoo.” NASA, however, has released few details about the rocket itself or the specific training operation beyond identifying it as a sounding rocket launch supporting the Navy exercise.

NASA’s regular public Wallops launch schedule does not list the mission. The agency notes that non-NASA missions conducted from Wallops are instead announced through its Wallops Range operational updates.

NASA has not identified the rocket type or provided details about its intended trajectory or target. The agency has previously supported Navy fleet training exercises from Wallops involving rocket-propelled targets, but NASA has not said whether Thursday’s operation will involve a similar vehicle.

Wallops will provide range support for the exercise, including vehicle tracking, data telemetry and range safety. The Eastern Shore facility is NASA’s only owned-and-operated launch range.

The launch may be visible locally during Thursday’s 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. window, although NASA has not announced a more precise launch time.