Latest news with #Venture-ClassAcquisitionofDedicatedandRideshare
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA Awards Launch Service Task Order for Aspera's Galaxy Mission
WASHINGTON, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has selected Rocket Lab USA Inc. of Long Beach, California, to launch the agency's Aspera mission, a SmallSat to study galaxy formation and evolution, providing new insights into how the universe works. The selection is part of NASA's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. This contract allows the agency to make fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity launch service task order awards during VADR's five-year ordering period, with a maximum total contract value of $300 million. Through the observation of ultraviolet light, Aspera will examine hot gas in the space between galaxies, called the intergalactic medium. The mission will study the inflow and outflow of gas from galaxies, a process thought to contribute to star formation. Aspera is part of NASA's Pioneers Program in the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, which funds compelling astrophysics science at a lower cost using small hardware and modest payloads. The principal investigator for Aspera is Carlos Vargas at the University of Arizona in Tucson. NASA's Launch Services Program, based at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, manages the VADR contract. To learn more about NASA's Aspera mission and the Pioneers Program, visit: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE NASA Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA Awards Launch Service Task Order for Aspera's Galaxy Mission
WASHINGTON, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has selected Rocket Lab USA Inc. of Long Beach, California, to launch the agency's Aspera mission, a SmallSat to study galaxy formation and evolution, providing new insights into how the universe works. The selection is part of NASA's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. This contract allows the agency to make fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity launch service task order awards during VADR's five-year ordering period, with a maximum total contract value of $300 million. Through the observation of ultraviolet light, Aspera will examine hot gas in the space between galaxies, called the intergalactic medium. The mission will study the inflow and outflow of gas from galaxies, a process thought to contribute to star formation. Aspera is part of NASA's Pioneers Program in the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, which funds compelling astrophysics science at a lower cost using small hardware and modest payloads. The principal investigator for Aspera is Carlos Vargas at the University of Arizona in Tucson. NASA's Launch Services Program, based at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, manages the VADR contract. To learn more about NASA's Aspera mission and the Pioneers Program, visit: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE NASA
Broadcast Pro
11-03-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Firefly Aerospace wins NASA contract for INCUS mission launch
Firefly Aerospace has secured a fixed-price contract under NASAs Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) programme to launch the Investigation of Convective Updrafts (INCUS) mission. The dedicated Alpha rocket launch will take place from NASAs Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Part of NASAs Earth System Science Pathfinder programme, INCUS consists of three satellites designed to study the formation and behaviour of tropical storms. By analysing storm development, the mission aims to improve climate change models. Each satellite will be equipped with advanced instruments, including high-frequency precipitation radars and a microwave radiometer, to capture real-time data on storm intensity and cloud depth. Fireflys Alpha rocket, built for dedicated missions, will deliver the INCUS satellites into precise orbits, enabling immediate scientific observations. This will be Fireflys third Alpha launch for NASA, following a successful mission last summer and an upcoming launch for NASAs QuickSounder mission in 2026. Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, said: 'Firefly offers our customers responsive operations and mission flexibility with launch sites on the East and West Coast of the United States and internationally. We strategically built our one metric ton Alpha rocket to support dedicated missions like INCUS. This allows our customers to place their satellites in the exact orbit they need and use their mission-critical resources to immediately begin conducting research and making advancements in science.'
Broadcast Pro
11-02-2025
- Science
- Broadcast Pro
NASA selects SpaceX to launch Pandora mission for exoplanet study
Pandora is an ESPA Grande-class spacecraft, weighing up to 320 kg, and is designed to function in a sun-synchronous orbit. NASA has awarded SpaceX the contract to launch its Pandora mission, which aims to analyse how stellar activity influences the study of exoplanet atmospheres. The mission will examine at least 20 exoplanets and their host stars, providing insights into planetary environments beyond our solar system. The selection falls under NASAs Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract, which facilitates fixed-price awards over a five-year period, with a total potential value of $300m across multiple contracts. Pandoras one-year primary mission will involve observing each exoplanet 10 times for 24-hour sessions during transitswhen a planet crosses in front of its star. The spacecraft is equipped with a 17-inch (45-centimeter) all-aluminum telescope, designed to simultaneously capture visible and near-infrared light from host stars while analyzing exoplanetary atmospheres. This approach will help scientists differentiate between stellar and planetary signals, complementing data from NASAs James Webb Space Telescope and upcoming missions like the Habitable Worlds Observatory. The mission is a collaborative effort between NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Funded by NASAs Astrophysics Pioneers program, Pandora represents a cost-effective initiative to advance astrophysics research. NASAs Launch Services Programme, based at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, oversees the VADR contract.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA Awards Launch Service Task Order for Pandora Mission
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has selected SpaceX of Starbase, Texas, to provide the launch service for the agency's Pandora mission, which will study at least 20 known exoplanets and their host stars to find out how changes in stars affect our observations of exoplanet atmospheres. The selection is part of NASA's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. This contract allows the agency to make fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity awards during VADR's five-year ordering period, with a maximum total value of $300 million across all contracts. During its one-year primary mission, Pandora will observe each exoplanet 10 times, observing for 24 hours each visit. It will capture critical data about the planet and its host star during transits, an event where a planet crosses in front of the star it orbits. The satellite will use an innovative 17-inch (45-centimeter)-wide all-aluminum telescope to simultaneously measure the visible and near-infrared brightness of the host star and obtain near-infrared spectra of the transiting planet. This will allow scientists to cleanly separate star and planetary signals, knowledge that will enhance observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and future missions searching for habitable worlds, like the agency's Habitable Worlds Observatory. Pandora is a joint effort between NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The Astrophysics Pioneers program, from the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, funds Pandora and other astrophysics science missions using smaller, lower cost hardware and payloads. NASA's Launch Services Program, based at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, manages the VADR contract. To learn more about NASA's Pandora mission, visit: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE NASA Sign in to access your portfolio
