Partner Selection
NASA has selected Rocket Lab to deliver the launch service for the Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer (PolSIR) and the Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor-2 (TSIS-2) missions. The award is made under the Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) contract, which allows the agency to procure launches at fixed prices for indefinite quantities.
The VADR mechanism was created to streamline access to commercial launch providers while keeping costs predictable. By using Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle, NASA can place relatively small payloads into orbit quickly and reliably.
Mission Overview
PolSIR will measure polarized submillimeter radiation from ice clouds, providing insight into cloud microphysics and their role in Earth’s energy balance. TSIS-2 will monitor the total and spectral solar irradiance, data that are crucial for climate modeling and for calibrating other space‑based Earth‑observing instruments.
Both instruments are destined for low‑Earth orbit, where they will gather long‑term datasets. Launch timing will depend on Rocket Lab’s launch schedule and the readiness of the payloads, with a liftoff anticipated sometime in the mid‑2020s.