From late 2010 to early 2012, Portland Bolt worked with NASA, the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority, and Orbital Sciences Corporation, to help supply bolts and fasteners required for the construction and upgrade of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport located on Wallops Island, Virginia.Owned in a joint partnership between the governments of Virginia and Maryland, and on land held by NASA, the new rocket integration facility will support one of two U.S. rockets selected to launch cargo to the International Space Station.The project featured the addition of a pre-engineered metal building structure with deep foundations, overhead cranes, and support areas. In addition, the project also included a multi-million dollar launch pad complex with fuel farm, cryogenic liquid propellants and high pressure gasses, heavy hydraulics, and launch control facility.
Portland Bolt supplied galvanized F1554 Grade 36 and A193-B7 all thread rod, custom stainless steel u-bolts, and custom A320 Grade B8M anchor bolts.All items provided were 100% domestic with full Mill Test Reports, a critical factor on a job with such stringent review requirements.
Over the next few years the site is scheduled to launch eight flights of the Antares rocket, as well as the robotic Cygnus cargo freighter, that will deliver 20 metric tons (about 44,000 lbs.) of equipment to the International Space Station.