Aspera (spacecraft)

Aspera

Mission type	UV Astronomy
Operator	NASA
Website	https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/astrophysics-pioneers/
Start of mission
Launch date	15 August 2026 (planned)
Rocket	Electron
Contractor	Rocket Lab
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Sun-synchronous orbit
Pioneers Program ←  Pandora StarBurst  →

Aspera is a NASA small satellite astrophysical mission selected in 2020 as part of the Astrophysics Pioneers Program. The mission is designed to map diffuse extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) emission from hot gas in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) and intergalactic medium (IGM) of nearby galaxies by detecting the O VI doublet at 103.2 and 103.8 nm. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

Launch and operation

NASA awarded the launch to Rocket Lab in May 2025 under the Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) contract. Aspera will be launched on an Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1A in Mahia, New Zealand, into a Sun-synchronous orbit on 15 August 2026. ^{[7] [8]}

See also

• Pandora Mission

References

1. "Astrophysics Pioneers - NASA Science". 2021-01-05. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
2. "U of A-led NASA Aspera mission hits spacecraft milestone | Steward Observatory". astro.arizona.edu. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
3. "Aspera". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
4. "Aspera". heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
5. "Aspera - SFL Missions - low-cost high-performance satellites : SFL Missions – low-cost high-performance satellites". 2025-07-10. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
6. "Aspera | Electron/Curie | Next Spaceflight". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
7. "Rocket Lab to launch NASA astrophysics smallsat mission". Space News. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
8. "Rocket Lab to Launch NASA Astrophysics Science Mission on Electron to Study Galaxy Evolution". Archived from the original on 2025-06-14. Retrieved 2025-12-01.