NASA Selects Firefly Aerospace to Launch Earth Science Smallsat Trio From Virginia

NASA has awarded a contract to Firefly Aerospace to launch a trio of Earth science small satellites aimed at studying the formation of storms. The selection was made through the agency’s Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) contract, marking another milestone in NASA’s collaboration with commercial launch providers to advance atmospheric and climate research.

Mission Overview

The mission, known as the Investigation of Convective Updrafts (INCUS), will consist of three small satellites, each weighing approximately 100 kilograms. These spacecraft are designed to provide groundbreaking data on cloud convection, which plays a critical role in storm formation and severe weather patterns.

The INCUS mission is set to launch aboard Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

While NASA did not disclose an exact launch date in its announcement, Firefly Aerospace stated that the mission is targeting a liftoff as early as 2026. According to the official INCUS website, the team is currently working toward an October 2026 launch timeline.

Scientific Objectives and Instrumentation

The primary goal of the INCUS mission is to enhance scientists’ understanding of vertical transport within storm systems, an area crucial for improving weather prediction models and climate science. Each of the three smallsats will be equipped with Ka-band radars to monitor cloud convection, measuring the upward motion of air that drives storm development.

Additionally, one of the satellites will carry a microwave radiometer, which will track larger-scale weather conditions such as humidity and precipitation patterns.

The unique formation flying of the spacecraft—where the second satellite will trail the first by 30 seconds and the third will follow 90 seconds later—will enable researchers to observe rapid changes in storm systems with unprecedented temporal resolution.

Firefly’s Role and Growing Launch Capabilities

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket, designed with a payload capacity of one metric ton, is particularly suited for dedicated missions such as INCUS.

"We strategically built our one-metric-ton Alpha rocket to support dedicated missions like INCUS...This allows our customers to place their satellites in the exact orbit they need and use their mission-critical resources to immediately begin conducting research and making advancements in science." - Jason Kim, Firefly Aerospace CEO

The launch will take place from Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia. This launch site, historically used by Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket, is now being integrated into Firefly’s expanding operations, which also include the future Medium Launch Vehicle (MLV) rocket.

Firefly Aerospace has been ramping up its launch cadence, with a projected five Alpha launches planned for 2025 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. These missions will support a variety of customers, including Lockheed Martin and L3Harris, as well as military contracts like the Space Force’s Victus Sol responsive space mission.

The first Alpha launch from Wallops is expected to occur in early 2026; Firefly aims to transition from a quarterly launch rate to "double-digit" annual Alpha launches by 2026.

Firefly Aerospace’s recent successes, including the first lunar landing of its Blue Ghost 1 lander, have positioned the company as a key player in the rapidly evolving commercial space sector. With the INCUS mission, Firefly continues to solidify its role as a trusted NASA launch partner, contributing to vital climate and atmospheric research.