NASA Selects Launch Provider for New NOAA Environmental Satellite

NASA has chosen Firefly Aerospace, Inc. of Cedar Park, Texas, to supply launch providers for NOAA’s QuickSounder mission.

The choice is a part of NASA’s Enterprise-Class Acquisition of Devoted and Rideshare (VADR) launch providers contract. This contract permits the company to make fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity awards throughout VADR’s five-year ordering interval, with a most whole worth of $300 million throughout all contracts.

The QuickSounder mission will assist NOAA’s subsequent era satellite tv for pc structure for its future low Earth orbit program, which is able to present mission-critical knowledge for the company’s Nationwide Climate Service, the nation’s climate business, and different customers worldwide.

QuickSounder is the primary small satellite tv for pc in NOAA’s Close to Earth Orbit Community (NEON). A collaborative effort between NOAA and NASA, NEON will present a brand new strategy to growing a brand new international environmental satellite tv for pc system by shortly constructing small to medium-sized satellites with Earth-observing devices for climate forecasting, catastrophe administration, and local weather monitoring. QuickSounder has a launch readiness date of February 2026.

NASA will handle the event and launch of the satellites for NOAA. Because the mission lead, NOAA supplies funding, technical necessities, and will handle post-launch operations. NOAA and NASA will work with industrial companions to design and construct the community’s spacecraft and devices.