CXBN-2 Integration Team in the Morehead State University Spacecraft Integration and Assembly Facility. Left to right: Kein Dant, Yevgeniy Byleborodov, and Nate Richard. The Cosmic X-Ray Background NanoSat-2 (CXBN-2) CubeSat Mission developed by Morehead State University and its partners the Keldysh Institute (Moscow, Russia), the Maysville Community and Technical College (Morehead, KY) and KYSpace LLC (Lexington, KY) will increase the precision of measurements of the Cosmic X-Ray Background in the 30-50 keV range to a precision of <5%, thereby constraining models that attempt to explain the relative contribution of proposed sources lending insight into the underlying physics of the early universe. The mission addresses a fundamental science question that is central to our understanding of the structure, origin, and evolution of the universe by potentially lending insight into both the high-energy background radiation and into the evolution of primordial galaxies. Launched by NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative NET April 18, 2017 ELaNa XVII mission on the seventh Orbital-ATK Cygnus Commercial Resupply Services (OA-7) to the International Space Station and deployed on tbd.

The primary mission of CSUNSat1 is to space test an innovative low temperature capable energy storage system developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, raising its TRL level to 7 from 4 to 5. The success of this energy storage system will enable future missions, especially those in deep space to do more science while requiring less energy, mass and volume. This CubeSat was designed, built, programmed, and tested by a team of over 70 engineering and computer science students at CSUN.  The primary source of funding for CSUNSat1 comes from NASA’s Smallest Technology Partnership program. Launched by NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative on the NET April 18, 2017 ELaNa XVII mission on the seventh Orbital-ATK Cygnus Commercial Resupply Services (OA-7) to the International Space Station and deployed on tbd.

CSUNSat-1 Team (Adam Kaplan, James Flynn, Donald Eckels) working on their CubeSat at California State University Northridge. The primary mission of CSUNSat1 is to space test an innovative low temperature capable energy storage system developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, raising its TRL level to 7 from 4 to 5. The success of this energy storage system will enable future missions, especially those in deep space to do more science while requiring less energy, mass and volume. This CubeSat was designed, built, programmed, and tested by a team of over 70 engineering and computer science students at CSUN.  The primary source of funding for CSUNSat1 comes from NASA’s Smallest Technology Partnership program. Launched by NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative NET April 18, 2017 ELaNa XVII mission on the seventh Orbital-ATK Cygnus Commercial Resupply Services (OA-7) to the International Space Station and deployed on tbd.

The Cosmic X-Ray Background NanoSat-2 (CXBN-2) CubeSat Mission developed by Morehead State University and its partners the Keldysh Institute (Moscow, Russia), the Maysville Community and Technical College (Morehead, KY) and KYSpace LLC (Lexington, KY) will increase the precision of measurements of the Cosmic X-Ray Background in the 30-50 keV range to a precision of <5%, thereby constraining models that attempt to explain the relative contribution of proposed sources lending insight into the underlying physics of the early universe. The mission addresses a fundamental science question that is central to our understanding of the structure, origin, and evolution of the universe by potentially lending insight into both the high-energy background radiation and into the evolution of primordial galaxies. Launched by NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative NET April 18, 2017 ELaNa XVII mission on the seventh Orbital-ATK Cygnus Commercial Resupply Services (OA-7) to the International Space Station and deployed on tbd.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative’s (CSLI) ELaNa 43 (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites) mission stands vertical at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on Monday, July 1, 2024. Firefly Aerospace is one of three companies selected to fly small satellites to space under NASA’s Launch Services Program Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract awarded in December 2020.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative’s (CSLI) ELaNa 43 (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites) mission stands vertical at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on Monday, July 1, 2024. Firefly Aerospace is one of three companies selected to fly small satellites to space under NASA’s Launch Services Program Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract awarded in December 2020.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative’s (CSLI) ELaNa 43 (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites) mission stands vertical at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on Monday, July 1, 2024. Firefly Aerospace is one of three companies selected to fly small satellites to space under NASA’s Launch Services Program Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract awarded in December 2020.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative’s (CSLI) ELaNa 43 (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites) mission stands vertical at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on Monday, July 1, 2024. Firefly Aerospace is one of three companies selected to fly small satellites to space under NASA’s Launch Services Program Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract awarded in December 2020.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative’s (CSLI) ELaNa (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites) 43 mission rolls out of the company’s Payload Processing Facility to Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on Sunday, June 30, 2024. Firefly Aerospace is one of three companies selected to fly small satellites to space under NASA’s Launch Services Program Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract awarded in December 2020.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) lifts off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:04 p.m. PDT Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The successful launch of the rocket, named “Noise of Summer,” completed the company’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract with the agency. The CubeSat missions were designed by universities and NASA centers to conduct climate studies, satellite technology development, and educational outreach to students.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) lifts off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:04 p.m. PDT Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The successful launch of the rocket, named “Noise of Summer,” completed the company’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract with the agency. The CubeSat missions were designed by universities and NASA centers to conduct climate studies, satellite technology development, and educational outreach to students.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) lifts off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:04 p.m. PDT Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The successful launch of the rocket, named “Noise of Summer,” completed the company’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract with the agency. The CubeSat missions were designed by universities and NASA centers to conduct climate studies, satellite technology development, and educational outreach to students.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) lifts off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:04 p.m. PDT Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The successful launch of the rocket, named “Noise of Summer,” completed the company’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract with the agency. The CubeSat missions were designed by universities and NASA centers to conduct climate studies, satellite technology development, and educational outreach to students.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) lifts off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:04 p.m. PDT Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The successful launch of the rocket, named “Noise of Summer,” completed the company’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract with the agency. The CubeSat missions were designed by universities and NASA centers to conduct climate studies, satellite technology development, and educational outreach to students.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative’s (CSLI) ELaNa (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites) 43 mission rolls out of the company’s Payload Processing Facility to Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on Sunday, June 30, 2024. Firefly Aerospace is one of three companies selected to fly small satellites to space under NASA’s Launch Services Program Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract awarded in December 2020.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) lifts off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:04 p.m. PDT Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The successful launch of the rocket, named “Noise of Summer,” completed the company’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract with the agency. The CubeSat missions were designed by universities and NASA centers to conduct climate studies, satellite technology development, and educational outreach to students.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) lifts off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:04 p.m. PDT Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The successful launch of the rocket, named “Noise of Summer,” completed the company’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract with the agency. The CubeSat missions were designed by universities and NASA centers to conduct climate studies, satellite technology development, and educational outreach to students.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) lifts off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:04 p.m. PDT Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The successful launch of the rocket, named “Noise of Summer,” completed the company’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract with the agency. The CubeSat missions were designed by universities and NASA centers to conduct climate studies, satellite technology development, and educational outreach to students.

Technicians inside Firefly Aerospace’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, integrate eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative’s (CSLI) ELaNa (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites) 43 mission into payload fairings on Sunday, June 30, 2024. The mission will launch on the company’s Alpha rocket from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex 2. Firefly Aerospace is one of three companies selected to fly small satellites to space under NASA’s Launch Services Program Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract awarded in December 2020.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative’s (CSLI) ELaNa (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites) 43 mission rolls out of the company’s Payload Processing Facility to Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on Sunday, June 30, 2024. Firefly Aerospace is one of three companies selected to fly small satellites to space under NASA’s Launch Services Program Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract awarded in December 2020.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) lifts off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:04 p.m. PDT Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The successful launch of the rocket, named “Noise of Summer,” completed the company’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract with the agency. The CubeSat missions were designed by universities and NASA centers to conduct climate studies, satellite technology development, and educational outreach to students.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative’s (CSLI) ELaNa (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites) 43 mission rolls out of the company’s Payload Processing Facility to Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on Sunday, June 30, 2024. Firefly Aerospace is one of three companies selected to fly small satellites to space under NASA’s Launch Services Program Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract awarded in December 2020.

Students Joe Blair, at left, and Jonathon Bonamarte, describe a CubeSat, called RamSat, during a What’s On Board Science Briefing on June 2, 2021, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Services Mission for NASA to the International Space Station. The small research satellite was developed by students and faculty at Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. RamSat will observe forest regrowth in the Gatlinburg, Tennessee area which was devastated by wildfires in 2016. RamSat is the sole payload of the 36th Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) mission and was selected through NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI). The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon capsule atop is scheduled to launch at 1:29 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 3, from the center’s Launch Complex 39A. Dragon will deliver more than 7,300 pounds of cargo and science experiments to the space station.

NASA engineer Jacob Nunez-Kearny removes the foreign object debris (FOD) cover from the propulsion system on the agency’s CubeSat R5 Spacecraft 4 (R5-S4) at Firefly Aerospace’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The spacecraft will soon be integrated for launch aboard the company’s Alpha rocket, as part of launch services provided for NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative and Educational Launch of Nanosatellites 43 mission in support of the agency ’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract .

NASA engineer Sam Pedrotty performs final cleaning of Los Alamos National Laboratory’s (LANL’s) Extremely Low Resource Optical Identifier (ELROI) on the agency’s CubeSat R5 Spacecraft 4 (R5-S4) at Firefly Aerospace’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The spacecraft will soon be integrated for launch aboard the company’s Alpha rocket, as part of launch services provided for NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative and Educational Launch of Nanosatellites 43 mission in support of the agency ’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

A NASA engineer installs the agency’s CubeSat R5 Spacecraft 4 (R5-S4) into the dispenser at Firefly Aerospace's Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The spacecraft will soon be integrated for launch aboard the company’s Alpha rocket, as part of launch services provided for NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative and Educational Launch of Nanosatellites 43 mission in support of the agency ’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

From left, Firefly mission manager Marcy Mabry observes NASA engineer James Berck install the agency’s CubeSat R5 Spacecraft 4 (R5-S4) into the dispenser at Firefly Aerospace’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The spacecraft will soon be integrated for launch aboard the company’s Alpha rocket, as part of launch services provided for NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative and Educational Launch of Nanosatellites 43 mission in support of the agency ’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

NASA engineer Jacob Nunez-Kearny removes foreign object debris (FOD) cover from the propulsion system on the agency’s CubeSat R5 Spacecraft 4 (R5-S4) at Firefly Aerospace’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The spacecraft will soon be integrated for launch aboard the company’s Alpha rocket, as part of launch services provided for NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative and Educational Launch of Nanosatellites 43 mission in support of the agency ’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

NASA and Firefly Aerospace engineers review the integration plan for the agency’s CubeSat R5 Spacecraft 4 (R5-S4) at Firefly Aerospace’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The spacecraft will soon be integrated for launch aboard the company’s Alpha rocket, as part of launch services provided for NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative and Educational Launch of Nanosatellites 43 mission in support of the agency ’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

From left, NASA engineer James Berck removes the foreign object debris (FOD) cover from the relative navigation camera on the agency’s CubeSat R5 Spacecraft 4 (R5-S4) while NASA engineer Jacob Nunez-Kearny observes, at Firefly Aerospace’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The spacecraft will soon be integrated for launch aboard the company’s Alpha rocket, as part of launch services provided for NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative and Educational Launch of Nanosatellites 43 mission in support of the agency ’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

Technicians from the University of Maine prepare CubeSat MESAT-1 for integration at Firefly’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Monday, April 22, 2024. MESAT-1, along with seven other payloads, will be integrated into a Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket for NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 43 mission as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative and Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

A Satellite for Optimal Control and Imaging (SOC-i) CubeSat awaits integration at Firefly’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Thursday, June 6, 2024. SOC-i, along with several other CubeSats, will launch to space on an Alpha rocket during NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 43 mission as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative and Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

Technicians from the University of Maine prepare CubeSat MESAT-1 for integration at Firefly’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Monday, April 22, 2024. MESAT-1, along with seven other payloads, will be integrated into a Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket for NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 43 mission as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative and Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

NASA’s TechEdSat-11 (TES-11) CubeSat awaits integration at Firefly’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Saturday, June 8, 2024. Serenity, along with several other CubeSats, will launch to space on an Alpha rocket during NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 43 mission as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative and Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

A Satellite for Optimal Control and Imaging (SOC-i) CubeSat awaits integration at Firefly’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Thursday, June 6, 2024. SOC-i, along with several other CubeSats, will launch to space on an Alpha rocket during NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 43 mission as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative and Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

NASA’s TechEdSat-11 (TES-11) CubeSat awaits integration at Firefly’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Saturday, June 8, 2024. Serenity, along with several other CubeSats, will launch to space on an Alpha rocket during NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 43 mission as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative and Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

NASA’s CubeSat R5 Spacecraft 4 (R5-S4) awaits integration at Firefly’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. R5-S4, along with several other CubeSats, will launch to space on an Alpha rocket during NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 43 mission as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative and Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

Technicians with the University of Kansas prepare their KUbeSat-1 for integration at Firefly’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Thursday, April 25, 2024. KUbeSat-1, along with several other CubeSats, will launch to space on an Alpha rocket during NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 43 mission as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative and Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

NASA’s CubeSat R5 Spacecraft 4 (R5-S4) awaits integration at Firefly’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. R5-S4, along with several other CubeSats, will launch to space on an Alpha rocket during NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 43 mission as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative and Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

Serenity, a 3U CubeSat, awaits integration at Firefly’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Friday, June 7, 2024. Serenity, along with several other CubeSats, will launch to space on an Alpha rocket during NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 43 mission as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative and Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

Technicians with the University of Kansas prepare their KUbeSat-1 for integration at Firefly’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Thursday, April 25, 2024. KUbeSat-1, along with several other CubeSats, will launch to space on an Alpha rocket during NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 43 mission as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative and Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

Technicians with the University of Kansas prepare their KUbeSat-1 for integration at Firefly’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Thursday, April 25, 2024. KUbeSat-1, along with several other CubeSats, will launch to space on an Alpha rocket during NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 43 mission as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative and Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.

A CubeSat named CatSat from the University of Arizona awaits integration at Firefly’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Thursday, April 25, 2024. CatSat, along with several other CubeSats, will launch to space on an Alpha rocket during NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 43 mission as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative and Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.