Astra's LV0010 rocket arrives at SLC-46 for NASA's TROPICS mission

Astra Space's Launch Vehicle 0010 (LV0010) has arrived at Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for the upcoming TROPICS mission. The company was awarded the USD7.95 million launch service contract for the TROPICS mission by NASA in early 2021.

TROPICS, short for Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats, comprises a constellation of six 3U CubeSats, which will increase the scientific community's understanding of dangerous weather events such as tropical cyclones.

LV0010 has arrived at Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46) in Cape Canaveral. Thank you to the team at @SLDelta45 for their partnership. Learn more about our upcoming TROPICS mission with @NASA: https://t.co/2gxkcH3cKp pic.twitter.com/rGeTMIuWPl

— Astra (@Astra) May 30, 2022

The shoebox-sized CubeSats will provide rapid-refresh microwave measurements that can be used to determine temperature, pressure, and humidity inside hurricanes as they form and evolve. These observations will profoundly improve scientists' understanding of processes driving tropical cyclone intensification and will contribute to weather forecasting models.

For NASA's TROPICS mission, Astra Space will provide three dedicated launches within a period of 120 days. The mission will demonstrate that a constellation approach to Earth science can provide improved resolution, configurable coverage, flexibility, reliability, and launch access at an extremely low cost.