Rocket Lab Lands Potential $300M NASA Task Order for Aspera Mission Launch

Rocket Lab USA has been awarded a potential $300 million task order by NASA to launch its Aspera mission.

The agency said Wednesday the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order is part of its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare, or VADR, launch services contract, which allows NASA to award task orders over a five-year period.

Aspera Mission

The Aspera small satellite, or SmallSat, mission is designed to gain an enhanced understanding of the universe by studying galaxy formation and evolution. It will observe ultraviolet light to study hot gas in the intergalactic medium, or the space between galaxies. The satellite will also explore gas inflow and outflow from galaxies, which is believed to be linked to the formation of stars.

The Aspera mission is under the Pioneers Program in the Astrophysics Division. The NASA division provides the funds for astrophysics research utilizing small hardware and payloads. Carlos Vargas, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona, serves as the principal investigator for the Aspera SmallSat mission, while the Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida manages the VADR contract.

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