NORFOLK, Va. (AP) – A California-based startup says it will rocket small satellites into orbit from Virginia. Rocket Lab said Wednesday that it will build its launch pad at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. The spaceport is located at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility where unmanned cargo missions already launch to the International Space Station. Huntington Beach, California-based Rocket Lab’s endeavor reflects increasing demand from companies and governments alike to use small satellites. They’re used to gather images of earth and track anything from ships to weather. Rocket Lab already has a working launch pad in New Zealand where it sent its first rocket into orbit in January. The company plans to launch more rockets from there in November and December. It said it will start launching from Virginia in the second half of 2019.
