PHOENIX — A rocket launch Wednesday night at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California deployed eight satellites including one developed at the University of Arizona.
According to Firefly Aerospace, the company behind the launch, this was part of a contract with NASA. The Alpha FLTA005 carried and will 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.
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.
