FireFly Selected by NASA to Launch NOAA’s QuickSounder Satellite

On September 23, in an official press release, NASA announced that it had awarded a contract to Firefly Aerospace to provide launch services for QuickSounder, the first small satellite in NOAA’s Near Earth Orbit Network (NEON). However, the value of the contract was not made public.

*A Firefly Alpha rocket on the launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Credits: Firefly Aerospace*

This contract is part of NASA’s Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) program, allowing the agency to award fixed-price contracts over five years. The total value for all contracts under this program can reach up to $300 million.

The launch of the QuickSounder mission is currently scheduled for no earlier than February 2026.

QuickSounder mission

The QuickSounder mission is a partnership between NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and NASA, that aims to introduce a new generation of small environmental satellites under NOAA’s Near Earth Orbit Network (NEON).

The new QuickSounder satellite is designed to bring significant improvements in weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and disaster management. As the first in this network, it is an essential part of NOAA’s effort to improve its spacecraft architecture, focusing on creating smaller, faster, and more cost-effective satellites.

*Chart showing the progression of NOAA’s low earth orbit weather satellites. Credits: SwRI/Richard Menchaca*

Moreover, QuickSounder will operate in low Earth orbit at an altitude of about 824 kilometers, and it will carry the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS). This instrument will collect detailed atmospheric data, such as temperature, humidity, and moisture levels, which are fundamental to improving weather forecasts and tracking environmental changes.

Unlike older, larger models, QuickSounder is designed as a “pathfinder”, proving that smaller, commercially built satellites can be developed more quickly and cheaply.

Specifically, its development is expected to take about two years from design to launch and also to cost about a tenth of traditional satellites.

In addition, one of the mission’s major innovations is the ability to process data in near real-time, with 95% of the information available within 30 minutes, improving the speed of weather forecasting.

In this collaboration, NASA, as demonstrated by this contract, manages the development and launch of the satellite, while NOAA, as the mission lead, provides funding, sets technical requirements, and controls post-launch operations.

Another Contract for Firefly

Founded in March 2017 and based in Cedar Park, Texas, Firefly is an end-to-end space transportation company that develops small to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles. Its Alpha rocket, capable of carrying up to 1030 kg of payload to Low Earth Orbit, supports a variety of commercial, civil, and national security missions, offering reliable space access. Thanks to Alpha, the US company has become a leader in providing rapid space response capabilities, as successfully demonstrated with the Victus Nox mission.

Alpha rocket at Firefly SLC-2, Vandenberg Space Force Base. Credits: Firefly Aerospace. — *Alpha rocket at Firefly SLC-2, Vandenberg Space Force Base. Credits: Firefly Aerospace*

Additionally, the company is collaborating with Northrop Grumman to develop the MLV (Medium Launch Vehicle) rocket, which will increase payload capacity to 16,000 kg for LEO missions, with a focus on reusability. The first MLV launch is expected no earlier than 2025, expanding the company’s service for government and commercial customers.

QuickSounder’s launch contract, awarded to Firefly, is the latest in a series of agreements received by the company with NASA since its foundation. In fact, the American space company has also been managing significant contracts under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.

Render of Blue Ghost Mission 2, Firefly's Two-Stage Lander selected by NASA. Credits: Firefly Aerospace — *Render of Blue Ghost Mission 2, Firefly’s Two-Stage Lander selected by NASA. Credits: Firefly Aerospace*

These include Blue Ghost Mission 1, scheduled for launch in 2024, to deliver 10 NASA-sponsored payloads to the Moon’s surface, and Blue Ghost Mission 2, planned for 2026, to transport scientific payloads to the far side of the Moon, the lunar hemisphere that always faces away from Earth. Both missions are part of NASA’s plans to establish a sustainable lunar presence under the Artemis program.