US EditionNASA Awards Launch Service Task Order for Aspera's Galaxy Mission
- On May 14, 2025, NASA assigned Rocket Lab USA Inc. The task of launching the Aspera SmallSat mission aboard an Electron rocket from the company’s New Zealand launch facility.
- NASA awarded Rocket Lab a contract under its specialized launch services program, which permits fixed-price task orders over a five-year span with a total ceiling of $300 million.
- The Aspera mission will study hot gas in the intergalactic medium by observing ultraviolet light to understand gas flows that may influence star formation between galaxies.
- Carlos Vargas, principal investigator from the University of Arizona, explained that while scientists have a clear idea of the amount of gas required within galaxies to account for the observed star populations, extensive searches have yet to locate the majority of this gas.
- Aspera, part of NASA's lower-cost Pioneers Program, will launch no earlier than early 2026 on Rocket Lab's Electron rocket, providing new insights into galaxy formation and evolution.
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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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