Exciting News: Firefly Aerospace Secures NASA Contract for INCUS Mission Launch at Wallops! Discover What’s Next!

INCUS will be launched on Firefly’s Alpha rocket in 2026 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.

Cedar Park, Texas, March 3, 2025 – Firefly Aerospace has secured a NASA contract for a dedicated launch of the Investigation of Convective Updrafts (INCUS) mission. This mission aims to enhance our understanding of tropical storms by deploying three satellites that will monitor their formation and development.

Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, highlighted the benefits of the company’s operations: “Firefly provides flexible launch options, with sites on both U.S. coasts and internationally. Our Alpha rocket is designed for missions like INCUS, allowing precise placement of satellites into their needed orbits.”

The three INCUS satellites will work closely together to analyze tropical storms and thunderstorms. They will focus on how these weather systems develop and change. Each satellite is equipped with advanced radar to track rapid shifts in cloud depth and intensity. One of them will also have a microwave radiometer to enhance the weather data collected by the radars. This setup enables a unique method of measuring the vertical movement of storm-related mass.

The INCUS mission will launch from Pad 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, a site capable of supporting both the Alpha rocket and Firefly’s Medium Launch Vehicle. This launch will be Firefly’s third Alpha mission for NASA, following a successful first launch last summer and another planned for 2026 from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Firefly’s Alpha rocket is unique as the only commercially available launch vehicle aimed at the one-metric ton satellite market. It is proven to be reliable and cost-effective, delivering efficient launch services to meet customer needs.

About Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace specializes in space transportation, offering launch, lunar, and orbital services. Based in central Texas, the company focuses on providing affordable access to space for both government and commercial clients. With a range of vehicles for missions from low Earth orbit to the Moon, Firefly is a comprehensive provider in the space industry.

For more information, visit www.fireflyspace.com.

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