Firefly Aerospace to Launch Alpha FLTA005 for NASA on June 26

Firefly Aerospace to Launch Alpha FLTA005 for NASA on June 26
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 25, 2024

Firefly Aerospace, Inc., a space transportation company, has announced its Alpha Flight 5 (FLTA005) mission, named Noise of Summer, scheduled to launch no earlier than June 26. The launch window will open at 9 p.m. PST.

"The Firefly team has rapidly matured our Alpha rocket and our responsive launch operations to deliver the dependable one-metric-ton rocket the market is demanding," said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. "We're proud to support this NASA mission that will not only prove out the capabilities of Alpha as a repeatable, reliable launch vehicle, but also advance our mission of making space for everyone by supporting some incredible student-led CubeSat initiatives."

Launching from Firefly's SLC-2 complex at the Vandenberg Space Force Base, Alpha FLTA005 supports Firefly's Venture-Class Launch Services Demo 2 contract with NASA. This contract aims to validate launch vehicles that support a new launch class and provide more access to space for small satellites and spacecraft. The mission will deploy eight payloads selected through NASA's CubeSat Launch Services Initiative, offering U.S. educational institutions and nonprofits low-cost access to space.

CatSat - University of Arizona: CatSat is a technology demonstration of an inflatable antenna for high-speed communications. After reaching low Earth orbit, CatSat's antenna will deploy and inflate to a diameter of just over one-and-a-half feet to transmit high-definition Earth photos to X-band ground stations at approximately 50 megabits per second, more than five times faster than typical home internet speeds.

KUbeSat-1 - University of Kansas: KUbeSat-1 will demonstrate a new method to measure the energy and species of primary cosmic rays hitting Earth using a Cosmic Ray Detector. The payload will also use High-Altitude Calibration technology to research very high frequency signals generated by cosmic ray interactions with the atmosphere.

MESAT1 - University of Maine: MESAT1 is a climate-focused payload that will identify urban heat islands, determine phytoplankton concentration in water bodies, and help predict harmful algal blooms. Four multispectral cameras on board will relay the data to the University of Maine's ground station for further processing.

R5-S4 and R5-S2-2.0 - NASA's Johnson Space Center: R5-S4 and R5-S2 will be the first in a line of R5 spacecrafts launched to orbit, featuring Rendezvous and Proximity Operations Fiducial AprilTags to solve the problem of relative navigation between spacecraft. R5-S4 will also demonstrate a "spacecraft license plate" with a small blinking light that continuously flashes a unique number readable with a small telescope on the ground to identify and track satellites among tens of thousands of objects currently in orbit.

Serenity 3 - Teachers in Space: Licensed as an amateur radio broadcaster, Serenity 3 includes a suite of data sensors and a camera that will send data back to Earth and communicate with radios on the ground, allowing anyone with a ham radio to "talk" to Serenity. For details on communicating with and requesting photos from Serenity, visit www.TIS.org/Serenity-satellite.

SOC-i - University of Washington: The Satellite for Optimal Control and Imaging (SOC-i) will test an algorithm aimed at supporting autonomous operations with constrained attitude guidance maneuvers computed in real-time aboard the spacecraft. The payload uses optimization-based attitude guidance methods to compute trajectories in real-time that meet a set of five constraints throughout the maneuvers.

TechEdSat-11 (TES-11) - NASA Ames Research Center: TES-11 will conduct several technology demonstrations, including an exo-brake with a deployable parachute-like device aimed at reducing CubeSat de-orbit times, and BrainStack-3, a graphics processing unit and neuromorphic processors that allow for artificial intelligence experiments in low Earth orbit. TES-11 is part of a series of collaborative missions called TechEdSat that pair university students with NASA researchers to evaluate new technologies for use in small satellites while providing student mentorship opportunities with engineers at NASA's Ames Research Center.

"Through innovative technology partnerships, NASA provides these CubeSat developers a low-cost pathway to conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations in space," said Hamilton Fernandez, mission manager with NASA's Launch Services Program. "NASA benefits by having a mechanism for low-cost technology development and scientific research to help bridge strategic knowledge gaps and accelerate flight-qualified technology. The students benefit through hands-on experience, which develops the future workforce of the U.S. space industry."

Alpha FLTA005 and Firefly's future Alpha launches will continue as responsive space operations observed by members of the U.S. Space Force Tactically Responsive Space team to further define the training, infrastructure, and operational requirements for repeatable, on-demand launch capabilities. During the final launch operations, Firefly will transport the payload fairing to the launch pad and mate it to Firefly's Alpha rocket within hours of the scheduled liftoff, compared to weeks in a typical operation.

For more details on the Alpha FLTA005 Noise of Summer mission and livestream, visit fireflyspace.com/missions/noise-of-summer/.