New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) American private aerospace firm Firefly Aerospace has successfully launched its Alpha Flight 5 (FLTA005) rocket, which carried eight CubeSat for NASA.
The mission, part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative(CSLI), lifted off aboard the Alpha rocket, named “Noise of Summer” from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 9.04 p.m. PDT (9.34 a.m. IST).
Following payload deployment, Firefly successfully performed a second stage relight and plane change manoeuvre to further test and validate Alpha’s on-orbit capabilities, the company said. Firefly Aerospace is a NASA vendor for both launch and lunar services.
“The Firefly team knocked it out of the park,” said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, in a statement.
Besides “continuing this partnership,” Weber aims to be part of NASA’s “larger space exploration goals from Earth to the Moon and beyond.”
The mission’s CubeSats were selected through NASA’s CSLI, which provides a low-cost way for universities, non-profits, science centres, and other researchers to conduct science and technology demonstrations in space.
The CubeSats were designed by universities and NASA centres and cover science that includes climate studies, satellite technology development, and educational outreach to students.
The launch “demonstrates the capability of small rockets,” said Hamilton Fernandez, mission manager for NASA’s Launch Services Programme.
Further, he added that via the CubeSat mission, NASA aims to “build relationships with this new part of the US launch vehicle industry.”
Firefly is also in the final testing phase for its next Alpha launch, FLTA006.
The team is concurrently ramping up for a responsive on-orbit Elytra mission that will launch on Alpha FLTA007 later this year while also working to complete the final readiness milestones for its first Blue Ghost mission to the Moon launching in Q4 2024, the company said.
–IANS
rvt/sd/svn
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
