Wallops Flight Facility Launch Area 3

Launch Area 3 (LA-3) at the Wallops Flight Facility is a launch complex which was used, mostly by Scout rockets, between 1960 and 1985. Forty-one Scout launches occurred from the complex, making both orbital and suborbital. In addition, four Nike sounding rockets were launched from the complex in 1970.

Launch Area 3

Launch of a Scout X-1 from the original LA-3
Launch site	Wallops Flight Facility
Location	37.8506°N 75.4725°W / 37.8506; -75.4725
Short name	LA-3
Operator	NASA
Total launches	45
Launch pad(s)	Two
LA-3 (Mk.I) launch history Status Inactive Launches 22 First launch 1960-04-18 Last launch 1970-03-07 Associated rockets Scout X Scout X-1 Scout X-1A Scout X-2 Scout X-3 Scout X-3A Scout X-4 Scout X-4A Nike-Apache Nike-Iroquois LA-3A (Mk.II) launch history Status Inactive Launches 23 First launch 1964-07-20 Last launch 1985-12-13 Associated rockets Scout X-3C Scout X-4 Scout X-4A Scout X-5C Scout B Scout B-1 Scout D-1 Scout G-1

Launch Area 3 contains two launch pads, Area 3 and Area 3A.

Area 3, also known as the Mk.I launcher, was used by eighteen Scout rockets between 1960 and 1964. The first launch from the complex, on 18 April 1960, was the maiden flight of the Scout launch vehicle, using the Scout X configuration. The last Scout launch from the pad occurred on 6 November 1964. On 7 March 1970, a Nike-Apache and four Nike-Iroquois rockets were launched from the complex.

The upgraded Launch Area 3A, or Mk.II launcher, replaced the original Launch Area 3. It was used for twenty-three Scout launches, starting on 20 July 1964. The last launch from the complex occurred on 13 December 1985.

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  Rocket being Lifted onto the Launch Structure to be Prepared for Launch at the Wallops Island Launch Area in Virginia, 1961
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  Scout rocket on the launch pad at Wallops Flight Center.
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  B4-988/ Scout rocket (#S-138R) in horizontal position at LA-3A in 1965. LA-3 visible at the top left.
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  Scout-X5C with Reentry-F payload on launch pad at Wallops Island, 1968