PHOENIX — A rocket launch Monday night at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California will deploy eight satellites including one developed at the University of Arizona.
According to Firefly Aerospace, the company behind the launch, this is part of a contract with NASA. The Alpha FLTA005 will carry and deploy eight CubeSats.
The CubeSats were developed as part of NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative.
One of the satellites, CatSat, is an inflatable antenna for high-speed communications. It was developed by a team at University of Arizona.
According to the Firefly Aerospace website, "CatSat’s deployable antenna consists of a Mylar balloon. The front half of the balloon is transparent, allowing microwaves to pass through. The back half of the balloon is aluminized, creating a reflecting antenna."
CatSat is a student-run project involving NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, Freefall Aerospace, the University of Arizona, and Rincon Research Corporation in Tucson.
The launch is scheduled for 10:03 p.m.
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