Firefly Aerospace awarded NASA contract
Firefly Aerospace has secured a NASA mission to launch the QuickSounder environmental satellite on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Set for launch in 2026 aboard Firefly’s Alpha rocket, the mission is a key part of NOAA’s new Near Earth Orbit Network (NEON) programme.
NEON, designed to replace NOAA’s current Joint Polar Satellite System, will involve more frequent launches of small to medium-sized Earth-observing satellites.
This new satellite constellation will enhance the US’s weather forecasting, disaster management, and climate monitoring capabilities by deploying quickly and ensuring greater resilience.
Space missions are increasingly vital to environmental research, providing unique perspectives and critical data that are impossible to obtain from Earth.
Satellites equipped with advanced sensors can monitor global environmental changes, such as deforestation, melting polar ice, ocean temperature fluctuations, and greenhouse gas emissions, with a precision and scale unattainable from the ground.
These observations help scientists track climate change, predict natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires, and monitor ecosystems.
The QuickSounder satellite, developed by the Southwest Research Institute, is the first in the NEON programme, and will carry NOAA’s Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) to provide near-instant data on atmospheric conditions like temperature and moisture, which are critical for improving predictions of natural disasters such as fires, floods, and droughts.
The mission will mark Firefly’s second Alpha rocket launch for NASA, taking off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Firefly’s Alpha rocket is specifically designed to serve the one-metric ton satellite market, offering reliable and affordable launches tailored to customers’ preferred orbits.
“The Firefly team is honoured to support this critical pathfinder mission for the NEON program that will transform our nation’s weather forecasting and climate models,” said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly aerospace.
“Our flight proven Alpha rocket that’s dedicated to serving the one-metric ton launch market is well suited to meet the needs of the NEON programme, which requires fast, flexible, and direct launch services.”
