NASA selects rocket for U of A-led Aspera mission
Currently scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2026, an Electron rocket supplied by Rocket Lab will lift the Aspera satellite into orbit.
Rocket Lab
NASA has selected Rocket Lab USA Inc. of Long Beach, California, to launch the agency's Aspera mission, which consists of a small satellite, or SmallSat, to study galaxy formation and evolution and provide new insights into how the universe works. The Aspera mission is led by one of the youngest principal investigators in NASA history – Carlos J. Vargas, an assistant astronomer at the University of Arizona Steward Observatory.
Artist's rendering of the Aspera spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
Suraj Sridharan, Space Flight Laboratory (SFL)
Featuring a space telescope developed at Steward Observatory, Aspera will study galaxy evolution through observation of ultraviolet light, specifically the so-called circumgalactic medium, the diffuse matter surrounding galaxies. The inflow and outflow of this gas is of interest to researchers because it may contribute to the birth of stars and planets.
Carlos J. Vargas is an assistant astronomer at the University of Arizona Steward Observatory.
Courtesy of Carlos J. Vargas
"Imagine you are trying to build a puzzle, but 80% of the pieces are missing," Vargas said. "You can make out the edges, but the picture never comes into focus. For 50 years, astronomers have known that most of the gas in galaxies – the raw material for stars and planets – is simply 'missing.' Without it, we can't truly understand our origins."
Aspera is a small telescope specifically designed to create the first-ever complete maps of this hidden gas, revealing where it is, how it moves and how it transforms into stars.
Vargas, who got his doctorate in 2018 from New Mexico State University, is committed to advancing UV space astrophysics in both small and large platforms. To that end, he has led studies analyzing the cycling of gas and cosmic rays between galaxy disks and halos, as well as large observational campaigns at optical wavelengths.
While the U of A has a long and successful history of partnership with NASA, the Aspera mission marks the first time the university has headed all aspects of mission management," Vargas said.
"Aspera establishes U of A as a national leader in science-focused SmallSat mission leadership," he said.
Erika Hamden, who directs the U of A's Space Institute, called the announcement an "exciting milestone."
"We are one of the few institutions in the country that can support full end-to-end work like this," she said, "and it is exciting to know it will be in orbit before long!”
Aspera is part of NASA's Pioneers Program in the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., which funds compelling, lower-cost astrophysics science that uses small hardware and modest payloads.
The Aspera mission derives its name from the Latin phrase, "Ad astra per aspera," which means "to the stars through hardship," Vargas said.
"Aspera pays homage to the hardship faced in all space exploration and is a nod to the challenges the mission will overcome in providing the first maps of the invisible gas surrounding galaxies," he said.
The spacecraft consists of a microsatellite built by Toronto-based Space Flight Laboratory. The roughly 120-pound satellite is scheduled to launch into orbit in early 2026.
