Ribbon cut for new RocketLab launch pad

Pictured: Governor Glenn Youngkin cutting the ribbon on Virginia’s newest rocket launch pad on Wallops Island with Virginia and Rocket Lab leadership on August 28, 2025. Official Photo by Kaitlyn DeHarde, Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin.

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 3, located at the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Launch Pad 0-D within the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, will be the first launch site in the world for Rocket Lab’s brand-new reusable Neutron rocket

Governor Glenn Youngkin joined Rocket Lab CEO Sir Peter Beck on Thursday to cut the ribbon on Rocket Lab’s new Launch Complex 3 at Pad 0-D of the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island. The new launch, landing, and test site will serve as the world’s first launchpad for Rocket Lab’s reusable Neutron rocket, underscoring Virginia’s growing place in the nation’s aerospace industry.

Youngkin called the project both an engineering achievement and an economic driver for the Eastern Shore. “From right here on Virginia’s beautiful Eastern Shore, Neutron will deliver reliable and responsive launch capabilities, supporting national security while creating opportunities for innovation and economic growth,” he said, thanking Rocket Lab for investing in the Commonwealth.

Beck said the site demonstrates Rocket Lab’s commitment to assured access to space and launch diversity for critical U.S. missions. “Our Neutron rocket, with its ability for responsive space access as a high-cadence reusable launch vehicle, expands Virginia’s aerospace capabilities to enable the United States to quickly and reliably reach the International Space Station and low Earth orbit, as well as explore beyond Earth and on to the Moon and Mars,” Beck said.

Other state and company leaders highlighted the speed of construction—less than two years—and the Virginia-based team of more than 60 employees who brought the project to life. Neutron will be capable of lifting payloads of up to 33,000 pounds and supporting deep-space missions, with the pad featuring a distinctive 285-foot water tower capable of rapidly releasing 200,000 gallons.

Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, Secretary of Transportation Sheppard Miller, and Secretary of Commerce Juan Pablo Segura all praised the investment, citing Virginia’s infrastructure, workforce, and aerospace leadership. Virginia Spaceport Authority CEO Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Roosevelt Mercer, Jr. called the opening a milestone that secures the Commonwealth’s role at the forefront of commercial space.

Members of Virginia’s congressional delegation and General Assembly also joined the ceremony. Congresswoman Jen Kiggans pointed to the national security benefits, while Senator Bill DeSteph and Delegate Robert Bloxom, Jr. noted the broader economic and historic significance—Bloxom tying the achievement to the 30th anniversary of the Virginia Spaceport Authority.

With four launch pads, multiple processing and integration facilities, and more than 600 acres for expansion, MARS now adds Pad 0-D to its offerings, bolstering both government and commercial launch capacity. Rocket Lab’s commitment to new jobs and investment promises to bring continued economic growth and global visibility to Virginia’s Eastern Shore.