NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

Visitor Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Group Tour Guidelines

&

Scheduling Information

www.nasa.gov
HOW TO SCHEDULE A GROUP TOUR

1. Look over all of the provided information to ensure that your group is

eligible and that you fully understand and agree to these requirements.

2. Visit our booking website to view available dates and times.

https://wallops-visitor-center.appointlet.com/s/wallops-tour

Booking requests are required to be submitted at least four weeks

before your visit. Five weeks if your group includes Foreign Nationals.

3. Once your request is submitted, it will be reviewed by the Wallops

Visitor Center and begin processing. We will be in communication with

you periodically throughout the scheduling process; please monitor the

email used for booking the tour.

4. While you wait for your tour to be confirmed, email the first and last

names of each tour participant at least 7 days in advance to

wff-nasa-visitor-center@mail.nasa.gov

5. Prepare tour participants to wear appropriate attire, and bring all

necessary items for admittance to NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.

GUEST PRIVILEGE & FEDERAL PROPERTY

All personnel and visitors are on federal property and NASA Security

reserves the right to search any vehicles, packages, or persons entering

the Facility. Unless specifically authorized by NASA, you shall not carry,

transport, introduce, store, or use firearms or other dangerous weapons,

explosives, other incendiary devices, or other dangerous instruments or

materials likely to produce substantial injury or damage to persons or

property.

Additionally, the Wallops Visitor Center expects all participants to behave

in a manner befitting the honor and in recognition of this special access to

NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. Personnel and visitors are expected to

follow all applicable rules and procedures. Accordingly, NASA and the

Wallops Visitor Center reserve the right to revoke this privilege at any

time.

AVAILABILITY

September - May

Thursdays

10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

(start time)

STARTING LOCATION

NASA's Wallops Flight

Facility Visitor Center

175 Chincoteague Road

Wallops Island, VA

LENGTH OF TOUR

~2.5 hours

DISCLAIMER

All Wallops Visitor

Center programs, group

tours, and activities are

subject to changes or

cancellations due to

ongoing NASA and

Wallops Flight Facility

mission operations,

exhibit installations, and

Wallops Visitor Center

staff availability.

(757) 824 - 1404

·

WFF-NASA-VisitorCenter@mail.nasa.gov

Group Tour Guidelines

& Scheduling Information
All tours of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility are free and only available to educational, cultural, or

civic groups, clubs, or organizations. Individuals, families, and/or groups that do not meet the

eligibility criteria are unable to join an organized group's scheduled tour. Instead, families and

groups are invited to explore the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center and do not need to

make reservations.

Tour groups must provide their own transportation in the form of a single vehicle that fits all tour

participants and the Visitor Center Tour Guide.

Tour groups are not permitted to charge their participants a fee to attend a tour of NASA's

Wallops Flight Facility outside of the cost of transportation.

Tours must have a minimum of 8 people with a maximum of 20 people all of whom are at least 12

years old or in the 6th grade. The maximum number of participants includes the group's vehicle

driver.

Per NASA security protocols, the maximum number of Foreign Nationals per group is 6 people,

and some Foreign National participants may have additional security guidelines to follow.

Organizations are limited to a maximum of 4 group tours per calendar year.

GROUP TOUR SAFETY STATEMENT

Tours of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility go behind the scenes and through active work areas.

Although NASA applies stringent safety principles and techniques to protect the general public,

workforce, and property for all areas of the Wallops Flight Facility, inadvertent circumstance hazards

could occur.

By participating in group tours of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility through the Wallops Visitor Center,

you do so with an understanding of potential risks.

GROUP TOUR ELIGIBILITY
CONFIRMING YOUR TOUR

As the Wallops Visitor Center schedules your tour, you will be contacted periodically throughout the

confirmation and scheduling process; it is vital that you monitor the provided email address in the

tour request. The scheduling process may take a few weeks to be finalized, and all tours are subject

to cancellation or changes, before or at the time of the tour, due to ongoing NASA and Wallops Flight

Facility mission operations.

All tour groups are required to submit an attendance list containing the first and last names of ALL

participants attending the tour, including the vehicle driver. Tour groups are encouraged to include

names of backup participants in the event of absences. This attendance list with backup participants,

if applicable, must be submitted no later than 7 days prior to the tour and no changes can be made

to this list after the 7-day mark. If the Wallops Visitor Center does not have a completed attendance

list by the 7-day mark, the tour will be canceled. No exceptions.

VISITORS WITH DISABILITIES & SENSORY SENSITIVITIES

NASA's Wallops Flight Facility welcomes visitors with disabilities to participate in tours of the facility.

Wallops Flight Facility, as a NASA Goddard Space Flight Center campus, will provide reasonable

accommodations - such as sign language interpreters, CART reporting services, and designated

sighted guides for tours - to individuals with disabilities. Please inform the Wallops Visitor Center at

the time of booking of any accommodations needed for persons with disabilities or assistance with

walking. Tours of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility go behind the scenes and through active work

areas, which may include stairs or steps, uneven floor/ground spaces, loud noises, and active heavy

machinery to name a few. The Wallops Visitor Center will notify the group's organizer of potential

risks associated with the interested tour stop, if applicable.

The Wallops Visitor Center is a KultureCity Certified Sensory Inclusive Venue, and all Wallops Visitor

Center staff, including the Visitor Center Tour Guide, are trained to engage inclusively with

individuals with sensory needs. Upon request, KultureCity Sensory Bags are available for use during

a group tour of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility for individuals with sensory needs. Please inform the

Wallops Visitor Center at any time prior to beginning the tour if a KultureCity Sensory Bag is or might

be needed.
Secure a single vehicle that fits all tour participants, including the driver and the Visitor Center

Tour Guide. Since the Visitor Center Tour Guide will be informing the participants throughout the

tour as well as directing the driver, please leave a seat in the front of the vehicle available.

Your tour will promptly begin at the Wallops Visitor Center, located along Route 175, to meet the

Visitor Center Tour Guide. You will not begin your tour at the Main Gate to the Facility.

There are NO BATHROOMS on the tour. Please plan additional travel time (~30 minutes) to

allow for a restroom break prior to the start of the tour, potential traffic, and other unexpected

occurrences.

Tour groups have strict requirements to follow at each tour stop and it is imperative that you stay

within the controlled areas. Please follow the guidance of the Visitor Center Tour Guide as well

as other NASA personnel at all times as tours of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility go behind the

scenes and through active work areas.

There is a single drink vending machine onsite, and no food available for purchase at the Wallops

Visitor Center. Groups may bring their own food to eat outside at uncovered picnic tables or in

their provided group vehicle, as the Wallops Visitor Center does not have a designated eating

space available indoors.

Tour participants have the opportunity to explore the exhibitions displayed at the Wallops Visitor

Center and visit the Wallops Exchange & Morale Association's gift shop, before or after the tour,

time permitting. The gift shop accepts cash, card, and electronic payment.

PREPARING FOR YOUR TOUR & BEST PRACTICES

SAFETY & SECURITY PROTOCOLS: COVID-19

As part of NASA Wallops' commitment to the health and safety of all employees and visitors to our

facility, tour participants are subject to following all COVID-19 protocols as set by the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. These

protocols are updated bi-weekly based on the reported CDC Community Levels and may vary at the

time of your tour.

Depending on the CDC Community Level for NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, tour participants may be

required to wear a mask covering the nose and mouth while indoors, regardless of vaccination

status. The Wallops Visitor Center will provide guidance to you on NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

status prior to or on the day of your scheduled tour.
Valid photo ID for all U.S. Citizens

Current Green Card for all Lawful Permanent Residents

Valid documents (VISA, ESTA Form, and Passport) for all approved Foreign Nationals

Closed-toed shoes are required for all tour participants and legs must be covered to the knee,

unless otherwise stated.

Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) - Legs must be covered to the ankles. All electronics must

be left in the vehicle as they are prohibited in this building. This includes all cell phones, key

fobs, and smartwatches. All tour participants must wear a fully-buttoned ESD Jacket

(provided by the Facility, size range: S - 3XL) over their clothing.

Sounding Rocket Launch Pad, Launch Pad 0A - Weather-appropriate clothing for outdoor

conditions, including heat, cold, and wind.

All tentative and confirmed tour schedules are subject to change or cancellation in advance, or at

the last minute, due to ongoing NASA and Wallops Flight Facility mission operations and Wallops

Visitor Center staff availability.

The launch pad tour stops are subject to cancelation due to inclement weather. No tour stop will

be added to the schedule in place of this stop.

SAFETY & SECURITY PROTOCOLS: Identification

NASA's Wallops Flight Facility is committed to protecting the safety and security of all employees and

visitors to our facility. Prior to and during entry into the Facility, you will encounter NASA security

procedures. Upon entry to Wallops Flight Facility, all participants aged 16 and older must bring a

proper form of identification from the following list:

After picking up the Visitor Center Tour Guide, the group will be directed to the NASA badging office

and security gate. All tour participants, including the vehicle driver, may be asked to vacate the

vehicle while the security team completes their procedure. Tour participants, including the vehicle

driver, may be asked to show their forms of identification.

SAFETY & SECURITY PROTOCOLS: Clothing

To ensure the safety of all participants visiting active working areas, certain facilities have specific

requirements. Please review the information below to ensure all tour participants adhere to the

proper guidelines. If any of the participants do not follow the requirements for a facility included on

their tour on the day of the visit, the tour stop will be canceled.

CANCELLATION POLICY
If the Wallops Visitor Center does not have a completed tour attendance list at least 1 week prior

to the scheduled date of the tour, the tour will be canceled. No exceptions.

The following actions may result in the immediate cancellation of all or part of the tour, and

applies to all tour participants, including the vehicle driver:

Arriving 15 minutes after the scheduled start time.

Straying from the group while at any tour stop.

Taking photos in non-approved areas and/or bringing prohibited items into restricted areas.

Arriving for the tour without the required identification, clothing, and/or footwear.

Arriving with less than the minimum or more than the maximum number of tour participants,

and/or arriving with participants younger than the minimum age requirement, and/or arriving

with participants that are not on the submitted attendance list.

To knowingly give false information to the federal government is a felony. (18 U.S.C. § 1001)
Sounding Rocket Launch Pad

Launch Pad 0A

Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) (Not available after March 2023)

Range Control Center

Sounding Rocket Fabrication and Testing Facility

TOUR INFORMATION

Tours of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility include an approximate 2.5-hour guided experience by the

Visitor Center Tour Guide. Tour participants will enjoy a scenic drive around the Island Base, where

the launch pads are located at Wallops Flight Facility, and one tour stop to speak with a subject

matter expert. All tour stops are subject to changes and cancellations due to ongoing NASA mission

operations and staff availability.

The following tour stops are tentatively available:

NASA's Wallops Flight Facility Island Base:

Speak with a NASA Sounding Rocket Expert while walking alongside the

rocket's launch rail and learning about science missions from Wallops Island

and around the world!

Get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's (MARS)

Launch Pad 0A, where the Antares rocket launches from with the Cygnus

spacecraft carrying cargo to the International Space Station.

Tour the facility where the multistage Antares rockets are integrated before

launch. Managed by Northrop Grumman, this facility highlights the latest in

technological advances at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.

NASA's Wallops Flight Facility Main Base:

Discover the past, present, and future rocket launches at Wallops Island from

the room where the rockets are controlled. Speak with a NASA subject matter

expert and learn all that it takes for a rocket to launch.

Visit the machine shop where the skins for the sounding rockets are built under

the NASA Sounding Rocket Operations Contract (NSROC) and where the

sounding rockets undergo rigorous testing prior to launch. NSROC is

responsible for the fabrication of the sounding rockets launched at NASA's

Wallops Flight Facility and throughout the world.
NASA's Balloon Program Office

Aircraft Hangar

H-100: Payload Processing Facility (Not available after March 2023)

Scientific Balloons offer a cost-effective and efficient method for the collection

of scientific data about the Earth and Space. Visit the laboratory that tests and

develops new materials and technologies for scientific balloon research.

NASA's Wallops Flight Facility is home to a research airport that is used as the

home base for numerous scientific studies as well as runway testing and pilot

flight practice. Tour the aircraft hangar with a NASA pilot, learning about past

and current scientific missions while also walking alongside NASA aircraft.

Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket takes cargo to the International Space

Station from a launch pad on Wallops Island. Tour where this cargo is loaded

into the Cygnus Cargo Module before launch, and speak with a NASA subject

matter expert overseeing this crucial operation.

HAVE QUESTIONS? LET US KNOW!

Email: WFF-NASA-Visitor-Center@mail.nasa.gov

Front Desk: 757-824-1404
Group Contact Name:

Tour Date:

Tour participant first & last names, required. Emails, optional.

Return complete attendance list at least 7 days prior to tour date, earlier if possible.

Changes cannot be made after 7 day mark due to security procedures.

Groups are encouraged to submit names of back-up participants in the event of absences.

NASA Wallops Flight Facility

Visitor Center

Group Name:

Tour Attendance List

Building J-20 Wallops Island, VA 23337 757-824-1404

Complete & return to wff-nasa-visitor-center@mail.nasa.gov

First*

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Last* Email

Max 20, including driver

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

DRIVER