US Edition
NASA Awards Launch Service Task Order for Aspera's Galaxy Mission
- On May 14, 2025, NASA awarded Rocket Lab USA Inc. The contract to launch the Aspera SmallSat mission from New Zealand, with the launch planned for early 2026.
- The selection was made through NASA's fixed-price launch services agreement that allows for multiple task orders over a five-year period, with a total contract ceiling of $300 million.
- Aspera will study hot gas in the intergalactic medium and examine gas inflow and outflow around galaxies that may influence star formation.
- Carlos Vargas, principal investigator at the University of Arizona, stated that despite extensive efforts, the majority of the gas remains undetected.
- This mission, part of NASA’s Pioneers Program, aims to deliver cost-effective astrophysics science with small, modest payloads over a five-year VADR ordering period.
42 Articles
42 Articles
Rocket Lab to launch NASA astrophysics smallsat mission
NASA selected Rocket Lab to launch a small NASA astrophysics spacecraft that will study galaxies at ultraviolet wavelengths. The post Rocket Lab to launch NASA astrophysics smallsat mission appeared first on SpaceNews.
Montana Standard
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.
NASA awards launch service task order for Aspera’s galaxy mission to Rocket Lab – SatNews
NASA has selected Rocket Lab USA Inc. 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 o…
NASA Selects Rocket Lab To Launch Aspera Mission: Advancing Astrophysics Through Ultraviolet Light Exploration Of Galaxy Formation
Rocket Lab has been selected by NASA to launch the Aspera mission, an astrophysics science mission designed to study the formation and evolution of galaxies and provide new insights into how the universe works.
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