Firefly Aerospace's highly anticipated "Noise of Summer" mission was scrubbed on early Tuesday morning of July 2nd, due to a last-minute ground systems issue. The Alpha rocket, set to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, was scheduled to carry eight CubeSats from various universities and NASA centers to a sun-synchronous Earth orbit.
Firefly's Alpha Rocket on the Launchpad Credit: Firefly Aerospace
Liftoff was initially planned for Monday night but was delayed due to a ground support issue that arose during the countdown. Despite efforts to recycle and relaunch at the end of the 30-minute launch window, the mission was ultimately scrubbed.
Firefly confirmed the scrub on social media, stating that the team has identified the solution and is working to meet the next launch window on July 3rd, 12:03 a.m. EDT (0403 GMT; 9:03 p.m. on July 2 local California time).
The "Noise of Summer" mission is part of NASA's Venture-Class Launch Services Demo 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract, aimed at demonstrating the capabilities of new launch vehicles for small satellite missions. Firefly's Alpha rocket, classified as "Category 1" by NASA, is considered a high-risk, new rocket configuration with little prior demonstrated flight history. This mission aims to demonstrate Firefly's ability to respond quickly to a launch directive, with the payload fairing being transported to the launch pad and mated to the Alpha rocket within hours of the scheduled liftoff
The payloads onboard include CubeSats developed by universities and NASA centers, focusing on various experiments and demonstrations, such as deployable antennas, phytoplankton concentration, and leaner CubeSat development.
Firefly's Noise of Summer Mission Timeline Credit: Firefly Aerospace
Firefly has announced plans to launch the Alpha rocket four times this year, with real missions that matter, and aims to increase the frequency to six to eight times next year. The company has also secured launch space in Virginia and Sweden as well as received a multi-launch deal from Lockheed Martin for 15 confirmed launches and up to 10 additional missions through 2029 expanding its capabilities and reach.
Firefly will host a launch webcast in collaboration with NASASpaceflight, beginning 30 minutes before liftoff. The webcast will also be available on Firefly's website.
While the scrub was a setback, Firefly is working diligently to resolve the issue and meet the upcoming launch window. The "Noise of Summer" mission is a significant step forward for Firefly and NASA, pushing the boundaries of space technology and exploration.
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