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21st Century Activities "For more than 35 years, Cooper's Island hosted a US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) radar tracking system, monitoring the progress of spacecraft lifting off from Cape Canaveral. However on March 31, 1999, the site shut down after its role was replaced by a tracking -relay satellite. Since NASA abandoned the site, it has been adapted into a nature reserve with large sections of the Island opened to the public in 2008." (source: The Royal Gazette, Friday Sept 30, 2011) Nevertheless, parting words from US Counsul Grace Shelton mentioned that NASA-which operated a tracking station at Cooper's Island for decades-had returned to Bermuda with a mobile station to assist the US space programme. (source: The Bermuda Sun, August 29, 2012) Recently, negotations between NASA and Bermuda Government were approved to have a more permanent location set up for the Wallops Island Facility to function. Work was started to carry out extensive renovations to the former Administration Building. On Nov 5th, 2018 a ribbon cutting ceremony took place at the above mentioned building signifying the official opening of the refurbished NASA Tracking Station. The ceremony included both local and US officials.
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