NASA has selected Rocket Lab USA Inc., based in Long Beach, California, to launch its Aspera mission. Aspera is a SmallSat spacecraft designed to study how galaxies form and evolve. This mission aims to provide new knowledge about how the universe works by observing the space between galaxies.
About the Launch Contract
The launch is part of NASA’s Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) program. This contract lets NASA make fixed-price launch service orders over five years, with a total value of up to $300 million. It gives NASA flexibility to select launch providers for smaller, cost-effective missions like Aspera.
What Will Aspera Study?
Aspera will observe ultraviolet light to study the hot gas located between galaxies, known as the intergalactic medium. This gas flows in and out of galaxies and is believed to play a key role in forming new stars. By understanding this gas movement, scientists hope to learn more about how galaxies grow and change over time.
The Pioneers Program and Mission Leadership
Aspera is part of NASA’s Pioneers Program, which supports important astrophysics research using small spacecraft and affordable hardware. This program helps NASA explore space science with lower budgets and quicker missions. Carlos Vargas from the University of Arizona in Tucson is the mission’s principal investigator. The launch will be managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The selection of Rocket Lab to launch Aspera highlights NASA’s focus on innovative, cost-effective missions that advance our understanding of the universe. By studying the intergalactic gas and galaxy formation, Aspera will help scientists unlock mysteries about how stars and galaxies evolve, contributing to our broader knowledge of space.
