Aspera Mission
| Mission type | UV Astronomy |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| Website | https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/astrophysics-pioneers/ |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 15 August 2026 (planned) |
| Rocket | Electron |
| Contractor | Rocket Lab |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Sun-synchronous orbit |
Aspera is a NASA small satellite astrophysical mission selected in 2020 as part of the Astrophysics Pioneers Program. The mission is designed to map diffuse extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) emission from hot gas in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) and intergalactic medium (IGM) of nearby galaxies by detecting the O VI doublet at 103.2 and 103.8 nm.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Launch and operation
[edit]NASA awarded the launch to Rocket Lab in May 2025 under the Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) contract. Aspera will be launched on an Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1A in Mahia, New Zealand, into a Sun-synchronous orbit on 15 August 2026.[7][8]
See also
[edit]Reference
[edit]- ^ "Astrophysics Pioneers - NASA Science". 2021-01-05. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "U of A-led NASA Aspera mission hits spacecraft milestone | Steward Observatory". astro.arizona.edu. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "Aspera". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "Aspera". heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "Aspera - SFL Missions - low-cost high-performance satellites : SFL Missions – low-cost high-performance satellites". 2025-07-10. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "Aspera | Electron/Curie | Next Spaceflight". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "Rocket Lab to launch NASA astrophysics smallsat mission". Space News. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "Rocket Lab to Launch NASA Astrophysics Science Mission on Electron to Study Galaxy Evolution". Archived from the original on 2025-06-14. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
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