The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) is a commercial space launch facility located at the southern tip of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on the Delmarva Peninsula south of Chincoteague, Virginia.

In July 2003, Governors Robert Ehrlich of Maryland and Mark Warner of Virginia signed an agreement that directed the Secretary of Commerce and Trade of Virginia and the Secretary of Business and Economic Development of Maryland to form a working group to develop a concept and implementation plan for joint governance, operation and administration of the commercial spaceport at Wallops Island. The spaceport, then known as the Virginia Space Flight Center, had been developed, with a combination of federal, state and private sector funding, by the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA).

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport has two active launch pads. A third was proposed, but never built.

Launch pad 0A (LP-0A) was built for the Conestoga rocket, which made its only flight in 1995. The launch tower was subsequently demolished in September 2008, and has now been rebuilt for use by the Orbital Sciences Antares. The pad modifications for Antares included the construction of a Horizontal Integration Facility for launcher/payload mating and a wheeled transporter/erector that will "roll out and erect the rocket on its launch pad about 24 hours prior to launch."

Billie Reed (formerly Brady) is a fictional character from the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives. Created by writer Sheri Anderson, Billie's storylines focus on everyday life in the fictional town of Salem. Billie didn't even know her mother was Kate Roberts until a court hearing after being accused of murdering her father Curtis Reed. Billie's relationship with Bo Brady was famous to the character, and was a key reason she became such a popular character. The two share one daughter, Chelsea Brady.

The role of Billie Reed was originated by actress Lisa Rinna. She first aired on September 21, 1992. After three years, Rinna vacated the role on September 25, 1995. The show recast the role, which led to Krista Allen assuming the role from September 6, 1996 to November 5, 1999. When Allen vacated the role, rumors arose that ex-Port Charles actress Julie Pinson would claim the role of Billie. However, Rinna was announced to reprise the role for a short-term stint. Rinna returned to the role in July 2002 and once again vacated in January 2003. In 2004, two years following the online rumors, Pinson was hired into the role. She accepted after Rinna declined to return to the show. Pinson first debuted as Billie on September 13, 2004 and vacated the role four years later on February 5, 2008.

Simon P. ("Pete") Worden, Ph.D. (Brig. Gen., USAF, Ret.) (born 1949, in Michigan) is Director of NASA's Ames Research Center (ARC) at Moffett Field, Calif. Before joining NASA, he held several positions in the United States Air Force and was research professor of astronomy at the University of Arizona, Tucson. He is a recognized expert on space issues – both civil and military. Dr. Worden has authored or co-authored more than 150 scientific papers in astrophysics, space sciences, and strategic studies. He served as a scientific co-investigator for two NASA space science missions, and received the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal for the 1994 Clementine mission. He has been named the 2009 Federal Laboratory Consortium Laboratory Director of the Year.

Prior to becoming Director of NASA Ames, Dr. Worden was a Research Professor of Astronomy, Optical Sciences and Planetary Sciences at the University of Arizona where his primary research direction was the development of large space optics for national security and scientific purposes and near-earth asteroids. Additionally he worked on topics related to space exploration and solar-type activity in nearby stars.