SAN FRANCISCO — Firefly Aerospace has been awarded a contract to launch Quicksounder, a prototype for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s next generation of low-Earth orbit environmental satellites. The value of the contract was not disclosed.
NASA awarded the contract on behalf of NOAA to Texas-based Firefly under the Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. Through VADR, NASA awards fixed-price contracts for satellite launches.
QuickSounder is the first element of NOAA’s Near Earth Orbit Network (NEON), a new generation of polar-orbiting weather satellites. The mission is designed to collect weather data for many organizations, including the National Weather Service.
The Southwest Research Institute is building the QuickSounder satellite to house an advanced technology microwave sounder development unit refurbished by manufacturer Northrop Grumman. QuickSounder is scheduled to launch no earlier than February 2026.
NOAA is working with NASA to accelerate the development of small and medium-sized satellites to provide data for weather forecasting, disaster management and climate monitoring. NASA will lead the development and launch of the satellites. NOAA will provide funding and technical requirements and manage post-launch operations.
VADR is a fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract with a five-year order period and a maximum aggregate value of all contracts of $300 million.
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