Firefly Aerospace, Inc. announced its Alpha Flight 5 (FLTA005) mission, called Noise of Summer.

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 that serves to validate the capabilities of launch vehicles that support a new launch class and provide more access to space for small satellites and spacecraft. The mission will deploy the following eight payloads selected through NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative, providing U.S. educational institutions and nonprofits with 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 5 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 utilizing a Cosmic Ray Detector. The payload will also utilize 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 concentration of phytoplankton in water bodies, and help predict harmful algal blooms. Four multispectral cameras on board will relay the data down to 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 that can be read with a small telescope on the ground to identify and better 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: 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 utilizes 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.

Courtesy of Firefly Aerospace, Inc.

The Firefly Alpha is a small-lift launch vehicle developed by Firefly Aerospace. It is designed to provide a cost-effective, reliable option for launching payloads to low Earth orbit (LEO) for commercial, civil, and national security missions.

Specs

Height: 29 m (95 ft)

Diameter: 1.82 m (6 ft)

Mass: 54,000 kg (119,000 lb)

Stages: 2

Payload to LEO (Low Earth Orbit): 1,030 kg (2,270 lb)

Payload to SSO (Sun-Synchronous Orbit): 630 kg (1,390 lb)

First Flight: September 2021

The Alpha uses a tap-off cycle engine for its first stage, with four Reaver engines providing the necessary thrust for launch. The second stage is powered by a single Lightning engine, optimized for vacuum conditions. Alpha is designed for fast, responsive launches, capable of sending payloads to orbit with just 24 hours' notice.

This rocket is primarily intended for launching small satellites and serves as a flexible, on-demand launch solution. The Alpha is part of Firefly’s efforts to provide quick access to space and support a wide range of mission types.

Courtesy of Firefly Aerospace. Photo courtesy of Tom Cross for Supercluster.

SLC-2W (Space Launch Complex 2W) is a launch pad located at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Originally built in the 1960s for the Titan II missile program, it has since been repurposed to support orbital launches. The facility is primarily used for launches that require polar orbits and sun-synchronous orbits (SSO), making it a key site for missions that involve spacecraft requiring these specific trajectories.

Today, SLC-2W is used by several commercial launch providers, including Firefly Aerospace, which conducts launches of their Alpha rocket from the site. The pad has also supported various other rockets over the years, such as the Delta II and Minotaur rockets. Its location over the Pacific Ocean provides a clear and safe launch path, especially for missions that involve high-inclination orbits. This launch complex plays a significant role in enabling small and medium-lift rockets to access space efficiently and safely.

Photo courtesy of Firefly Aerospace, Inc.