CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. (AP) - In recent years, the coastal town of Chincoteague has gotten a huge economic boost from the space industry at the nearby Wallops Island Flight Facility, where a rocket carrying supplies for the International Space Station blew up shortly after liftoff.
The blast could deal a setback to the commercial spaceflight effort championed by NASA and the White House even before the shuttles were retired. Now, local officials are hoping that setback doesn’t dampen the economic boon. Here is a look at some things to know about the local impact of the space industry in Virginia.
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A POPULAR SPACE THEME
Local businesses buy into the space tourism theme, with a “rocket fuel” treat offered by one local ice cream shop and a Chincoteague eatery’s new take on the lunch box - a “launch” box for hungry customers on the go. Even marketing materials for Chincoteague’s annual seafood and oyster festivals now feature images of rockets.
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A STEADY STREAM OF PEOPLE
The launches often fill local hotels, not just with visitors, but with space industry workers and support staff, like those who filled area hotels in advance of this week’s launch.
“It’s definitely an impact in the shoulder season and the offseason,” said Evelyn Shotwell, executive director of the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce.
Even without the launches, the various programs at Wallops, including activities by the Navy and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, bring a steady stream of business travelers.
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MORE THAN JUST ROCKETS
Chincoteague offers more than just liftoffs. The small coastal town is known for its rich shellfishing history, an annual pony swim and a national wildlife refuge that draws more than a million visitors each year.
On Wednesday, the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island was closed as a precaution while investigators began their probe into what happened and where the debris fell. An electronic road sign advised motorists that the refuge was closed “due to hazardous conditions.”
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A BIG ECONOMIC IMPACT
Shotwell could not put a dollar figure to the rocket program’s local economic impact but said it was significant. Aside from the big boost to tourism and hotels, NASA is paying billions of dollars to Virginia-based Orbital Sciences to make space station deliveries.
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