California-based startup Rocket Lab is looking to compete with industry leader SpaceX with its upcoming launch vehicle, Neutron. But before it can debut its reusable rocket later this year, the company has to figure out a way to transport Neutron\u2019s components to the southern tip of Wallops Island in Virginia.<\/p>\n
Rocket Lab<\/a> is awaiting approval to dredge a permanent channel to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, a spaceport surrounded by shallow waters and scarce infrastructure, TechCrunch reported<\/a>. The company is racing to meet its deadline for Neutron\u2019s inaugural liftoff in September, but the rocket still needs to go through final preparations on its launchpad before it can launch, and it has to make it onto the island first. Stuck in the mud, Rocket Lab is contemplating an old-timey sailing technique known as kedging.<\/p>\n The Virginia Commercial Spaceflight Authority operates MARS, a commercial launch site, in partnership with NASA\u2019s Wallops Flight Facility. The site represents an ideal alternative to Cape Canaveral in Florida, which is experiencing increased congestion due to the steadily rising number of rocket launches. Rocket Lab began constructing its second launch site, called Launch Complex-2, for its Electron rocket<\/a> in 2019, which has so far carried out four missions from its Virginia launchpad. In 2023, Rocket Lab began construction of a new launch site for its Neutron rocket, Launch Complex 3.<\/p>\n Rocket Lab has already spent millions on Launch Complex 3, and it plans on spending another $5 million or so to dredge Sloop Gut, a channel in Accomack County, Virginia, that serves as a navigation route on Wallops Island. The company wants to remove sediment from the channel and dredge around 5,300 feet (1,615 meters), deepening it to 7 feet (2 meters) below the water to accommodate large barges carrying its rocket components to the island. Its request was approved by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in May, but the company is still waiting for the green light from the Army Corps of Engineers, according to TechCrunch.<\/p>\n In the meantime, Rocket Lab is asking federal regulators for permission to use a technique called kedging, which involves using a series of anchors to haul a ship across shallow water. The company hopes the method will help transport Neutron\u2019s rocket parts in time for a launch this year. In case its request isn\u2019t approved in time, Rocket Lab suggests it can use ramps and cranes to transport Neutron\u2019s hardware across the waters or use a boat ramp.<\/p>\n