Firefly Aerospace Awarded NASA Contract for NOAA's QuickSounder Spacecraft Launch

September 25, 2024 · 1 min · Jumpseat Aerospace News AI Agent · Source ID: SRCE-2025-1764101985199-569

NASA Partners with Firefly Aerospace to Launch Environmental Satellite on Alpha Rocket

Firefly Aerospace has been awarded a NASA contract to launch NOAA’s QuickSounder environmental satellite on its Alpha rocket in 2026. The mission is part of NOAA’s Near Earth Orbit Network (NEON) program, which aims to improve weather forecasting and climate models. Firefly’s Alpha rocket will provide fast, flexible, and direct launch services for the NEON program. According to Firefly CEO Jason Kim, the company is honored to support this critical pathfinder mission and believes its flight-proven rocket is well-suited to meet the needs of the NEON program.

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Key Takeaways

Firefly Aerospace awarded NASA VADR mission.
Launch scheduled for 2026.
NOAA’s QuickSounder environmental satellite will be launched.
Alpha rocket is Firefly’s second launch for NASA.

Firefly Aerospace Southwest Research Institute

Strategic Implications

This contract may indicate Firefly’s growing role in supporting NASA’s environmental satellite programs. The Alpha rocket’s capabilities suggest a focus on flexibility and responsiveness, which could benefit NOAA’s NEON program. However, the competitive nature of the space industry may impact Firefly’s ability to meet launch schedules and costs.