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Firefly Aerospace Ready to Launch Alpha FLTA005 for NASA No Earlier Than June 26

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Noise of Summer mission will launch eight educational payloads for NASA’s CubeSat Launch Services Initiative

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif., June 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Firefly Aerospace, Inc., an end-to-end space transportation company, today announced its Alpha Flight 5 (FLTA005) mission, called Noise of Summer, is scheduled to launch no earlier than June 26. The 30-minute launch window will open at 9 p.m. PST.

“The Firefly team has rapidly matured our Alpha rocket and our responsive launch operations to deliver the dependable one-metric-ton rocket the market is demanding,” said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “We’re proud to support this NASA mission that will not only prove out the capabilities of Alpha as a repeatable, reliable launch vehicle, but also advance our mission of making space for everyone by supporting some incredible student-led CubeSat initiatives.”

Launching from Firefly’s SLC-2 complex at the Vandenberg Space Force Base, Alpha FLTA005 supports Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demo 2 contract with NASA that serves to validate the capabilities of launch vehicles that support a new launch class and provide more access to space for small satellites and spacecraft. The mission will deploy the following eight payloads selected through NASA’s CubeSat Launch Services Initiative, providing U.S. educational institutions and nonprofits with low-cost access to space.

CatSat – University of Arizona: CatSat is a technology demonstration of an inflatable antenna for high-speed communications. After reaching low Earth orbit, CatSat’s antenna will deploy and inflate to a diameter of just over one-and-a-half feet to transmit high-definition Earth photos to X-band ground stations at approximately 50 megabits per second, more than 5 times faster than typical home internet speeds.

KUbeSat-1 ­­- University of Kansas: KUbeSat-1 will demonstrate a new method to measure the energy and species of primary cosmic rays hitting Earth utilizing a Cosmic Ray Detector. The payload will also utilize High-Altitude Calibration technology to research very high frequency signals generated by cosmic ray interactions with the atmosphere.

MESAT1 – University of Maine: MESAT1 is a climate focused payload that will identify urban heat islands, determine concentration of phytoplankton in water bodies, and help predict harmful algal blooms. Four multispectral cameras on board will relay the data down to University of Maine’s ground station for further processing.

R5-S4 and R5-S2-2.0 – NASA’s Johnson Space Center: R5-S4 and R5-S2 will be the first in a line of R5 spacecrafts launched to orbit, featuring Rendezvous and Proximity Operations Fiducial AprilTags to solve the problem of relative navigation between spacecraft. R5-S4 will also demonstrate a “spacecraft license plate” with a small blinking light that continuously flashes a unique number that can be read with a small telescope on the ground to identify and better track satellites among tens of thousands of objects currently in orbit. 

Serenity 3 – Teachers in Space: Licensed as an amateur radio broadcaster, Serenity 3 includes a suite of data sensors and a camera that will send data back to Earth and communicate with radios on the ground, allowing anyone with a ham radio to “talk” to Serenity. For details on communicating with and requesting photos from Serenity, visit www.TIS.org/Serenity-satellite.

SOC-i – University of Washington: Satellite for Optimal Control and Imaging (SOC-i) will test an algorithm aimed at supporting autonomous operations with constrained attitude guidance maneuvers computed in real-time aboard the spacecraft. The payload utilizes uses optimization-based attitude guidance methods to compute trajectories in real-time that meet a set of five constraints throughout the maneuvers.

TechEdSat-11 (TES-11) – NASA Ames Research Center: TES-11 will conduct several technology demonstrations, including an exo-brake with a deployable parachute-like device aimed at reducing CubeSat de-orbit times, and BrainStack-3, a graphics processing unit and neuromorphic processors that allow for artificial intelligence experiments in low Earth orbit. TES-11 is part of a series of collaborative missions called TechEdSat that pair university students with NASA researchers to evaluate new technologies for use in small satellites while providing student mentorship opportunities with engineers at NASA’s Ames Research Center.

“Through innovative technology partnerships, NASA provides these CubeSat developers a low-cost pathway to conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations in space,” said Hamilton Fernandez, mission manager with NASA’s Launch Services Program. “NASA benefits by having a mechanism for low-cost technology development and scientific research to help bridge strategic knowledge gaps and accelerate flight-qualified technology. The students benefit through hands on experience, which develops the future workforce of the U.S. space industry.”

Alpha FLTA005 and Firefly’s future Alpha launches will continue to be performed as responsive space operations that are observed by members of the U.S. Space Force Tactically Responsive Space team to further define the training, infrastructure, and operational requirements for repeatable, on-demand launch capabilities. During the final launch operations, Firefly will transport the payload fairing to the launch pad and mate it to Firefly’s Alpha rocket within hours of the scheduled liftoff, compared to weeks in a typical operation.

For more details on the Alpha FLTA005 Noise of Summer mission and livestream, visit fireflyspace.com/missions/noise-of-summer/.

About Firefly Aerospace 
Firefly Aerospace is an end-to-end space transportation company with launch, lunar, and on-orbit services. Headquartered in central Texas, Firefly is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners (“AEI”) focused on delivering responsive, reliable, and affordable space access for government and commercial customers. Firefly’s small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide the space industry with a single source for missions from low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon and beyond. For more information, visit www.fireflyspace.com.

Contact
press@fireflyspace.com

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SOURCE Firefly Aerospace, Inc.

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Cambium Networks Introduces High Density Wi-Fi 7 Solution for the Enterprise

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New tri-band, software-definable Wi-Fi 7 solution delivers precision directive coverage with AI optimization for exhibition halls, auditoriums, warehouses, and other high-density environments.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cambium Networks, a leading global provider of networking solutions, today announced a new Wi-Fi 7 high-density access point – the X7-56X – engineered to deliver high-performance wireless connectivity in the most demanding environments. Designed to meet the needs of large public venues, exhibition halls, busy public spaces, and educational campuses, the solution combines focused RF coverage, AI-driven optimization, and cloud-managed simplicity in a high-capacity platform.

The X7-56X extends Cambium Networks’ Wi-Fi 7 portfolio with a software-definable tri-band architecture featuring 60° x 60° directive antennas designed for precision coverage and reduced co-channel interference in congested RF environments. The platform supports up to 1,280 clients per access point and up to 17.9 Gbps aggregate wireless capacity across the three Wi-Fi spectrum bands.

“The X7-56X performed very well in our ticket scanning points that have high ceilings and see significant foot traffic volume,” said Jonathan West from the National Ice Centre in Nottingham, UK. “What makes this AP practical for a venue like ours is the integrated 60×60 degree antennas that eliminate separate antennas and cabling and can add significant cost, complexity, and footprint to every mount. Engineering all of that into one unit expedites installation and improves aesthetics as well. This form factor will extend to applications in our seating bowl as well.” 

“What excites me about the X7-56X is how well its directional approach works for some of our toughest spaces, such as auditoriums at capacity or the basketball arena on game night,” said Jeremy Petticrew, Network Engineer at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. “Precisely controlling Wi-Fi coverage has always been the hard part, and having an AP designed specifically for that, inside a platform we already trust, is a real advantage as device counts keep climbing.”

The X7-56X integrates with Cambium’s ONE Network architecture comprised of Wi-Fi, switching, security, SD-WAN, wireless backhaul, and fiber – all managed through the cloud via cnMaestro™ X. This unified approach provides centralized visibility and control across the entire network infrastructure from a single source of truth.

The new solution provides a compelling Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) proposition by reducing the amount of equipment required in typical installations. These advantages are enabled by:

Directive antennas that focus Wi-Fi coverage only where needed – a spotlight approach vs. the floodlight type of inefficiencies of omni-directional antennas

Integrated Wi-Fi controller in every AP, eliminating the need for separate appliance or VM-based controller solutions

Software-defined radios that enable flexible deployment of the 5GHz and 6GHz Wi-Fi bands matched to environment needs, reducing the number of APs required

Key capabilities of the X7-56X include:

Tri-radio, tri-band Wi-Fi 7 architecture

4×4 MU-MIMO support with ten total spatial streams

60° x 60° directive antenna for precision coverage

Air Cleaner technology for high-density RF optimization

AI-based Assurance for improved operational efficiency and problem resolution

Software-definable radios supporting flexible 5 GHz and 6 GHz migration

Built-in IoT radio supporting BLE 5.1, Zigbee, Matter, and Thread

Simplified installation with the MarketApps Installer mobile-based app and flexible mounting options

Cloud-based management through cnMaestro™

“High-performance Wi-Fi requires more than just raw throughput,” said Bruce Miller, VP Enterprise Product Management at Cambium Networks. “Intelligent RF management, flexible deployment options, and simplified operations are key to support growing device counts, IoT proliferation, and AI-powered applications. The X7-56X was purpose-built for these challenges while at the same time delivering compelling economics for enterprise IT and managed service providers.”

“The X7-56X brings together several technologies that are particularly valuable in high-density environments,” said Kevin Tolly, Founder of The Tolly Group. “The directive antenna design, Wi-Fi 7 architecture, integrated IoT capabilities, and cloud-managed operation provide organizations with a practical approach to supporting growing connectivity requirements while maintaining operational simplicity.”

View the Tolly Group preview video of the X7-56X, showcasing the access point’s ultra-high-density design, Wi-Fi 7 capabilities, deployment flexibility, and performance advantages for demanding enterprise environments.

Cambium Networks’ directional Wi-Fi 7 innovation was recently highlighted by Wi-Fi NOW in an Expert Insights article by CEO and Chairman Claus Hetting.

Watch our webinar replay, “High-Performance Wi-Fi with New Wi-Fi 7 and 6 GHz Solutions.”

About Cambium Networks

Cambium Networks enables service providers, enterprises, industrial organizations, and governments to deliver exceptional digital experiences, and device connectivity, with compelling economics. Our ONE Network platform simplifies management of Cambium Networks’ wired and wireless broadband and network edge technologies. Our customers can focus more resources on managing their business rather than the network. We make connectivity that just works.

Media Contact

pr@cambiumnetworks.com

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SOURCE Cambium Networks

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OCEAN Launches Portal, the First End-to-End Encrypted Pool Dashboard for Bitcoin Miners

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New customizable dashboard gives miners operation-wide tools without surrendering privacy or identity

MIAMI, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today OCEAN announced the launch of OCEAN Portal, a customizable, end-to-end encrypted dashboard that gives Bitcoin miners a complete view of their operation. PORTAL was unveiled on stage at Mining Disrupt 2026, the world’s largest Bitcoin mining expo and conference, held July 21-23 at the Miami Airport Convention Center, by OCEAN President Mark Artymko. PORTAL is available now, for free, to all miners on OCEAN at portal.ocean.xyz.

OCEAN was built permissionless from the ground up, a deliberate design choice that, like Bitcoin itself, gives miners unhindered access to their own information. Traditional pools organize miner data by storing it on their own servers. OCEAN Portal delivers that same organized, polished experience while keeping miners fully in control: a permissionless, encrypted view of your mining addresses with the look and feel of an enterprise-style dashboard. Miners can combine multiple Bitcoin addresses into a single view, organize addresses by site, and assign human-readable names to sites, workers, and teams. Portal includes site-specific statistics, worker insights, payout information in Bitcoin and fiat, robust reporting tools, and access controls that let operators share full dashboards with their teams or generate expiring read-only links for clients. No account or email is required. Miners sign in with a Bitcoin address and a password they create. The convenience of enterprise dashboards, with the security of OCEAN.

“PORTAL was built in direct response to miner feedback,” said Mark Artymko, President of OCEAN. “Some of our miners told us that a customizable dashboard was the only thing standing between their full stack of hashrate and the pool. OCEAN heard them, and built it.”

PORTAL is powered by Sub-space Locker, an application-independent encrypted storage and access-control system developed by OCEAN. Built on public-key cryptography, Sub-space Locker authenticates users, stores encrypted application data, and controls what each user can access. Encryption and decryption happen locally in the user’s browser, leaving OCEAN and other intermediaries unable to read the underlying data.

“Every mining pool dashboard on earth makes the same trade: your tooling for your identity,” said Jason Hughes, VP of Engineering at OCEAN. “PORTAL refuses that trade. Miners get pool-grade information in the most sovereign way possible. We couldn’t read their data even if we tried.”

Since launching in 2023, OCEAN has focused on returning sovereignty to Bitcoin miners through permissionless, non-custodial pooled mining, fully transparent and auditable TIDES payouts, and DATUM, which puts block template construction back in miners’ hands. PORTAL extends that mission from the pool to the mining operation itself.

OCEAN Portal is available now at portal.ocean.xyz.

About OCEAN

OCEAN is a Bitcoin mining pool built on miner sovereignty. Operated by Mummolin, Inc., OCEAN offers non-custodial payouts, transparent reward accounting, and DATUM, the only pool technology that lets individual miners construct their own block templates.

Media Contact Ian Northon media@ocean.xyz

 

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SOURCE Mummolin Inc

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PlayVS and Scouting America Announce Gaming Activation at the 2026 National Jamboree

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New immersive gaming hub will bring structured esports competition, casual play, and digital citizenship programming to Scouts at Summit Bechtel Reserve

LOS ANGELES, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — PlayVS, North America’s leading scholastic gaming platform, today announced a partnership with Scouting America to bring a state-of-the-art gaming activation to the 2026 National Jamboree, taking place July 22–31, 2026. One of Scouting America’s premier youth gatherings, the National Jamboree at Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia, brings Scouts together from across the country for adventure, fellowship, skill-building, and shared experiences.

Running throughout the National Jamboree, the PlayVS Arena will offer a rotating schedule of competitive tournaments, leaderboard challenges, casual gaming, and hands-on technology experiences. Designed for Scouts of all experience levels, the activation promotes teamwork, digital citizenship, sportsmanship, and healthy competition while creating a welcoming space for Scouts to connect over a shared passion for gaming. The arena gives Scouts the opportunity to connect with friends, test their skills, and experience organized esports in an environment designed for participation, sportsmanship, and fun.

“At PlayVS, we believe gaming can be a powerful way for young people to build confidence, practice teamwork, and develop meaningful connections,” said Andrew Barnett, Partnership Lead. “Partnering with Scouting America allows us to bring that experience to one of the country’s most iconic youth gatherings and show how structured gaming can complement the values of leadership, fellowship, and skill-building that Scouting has championed for generations.”

The gaming activation will feature a high-tech mobile gaming trailer outfitted with gaming stations, virtual reality experiences, and a professional racing simulator. A dedicated event tent located alongside the trailer will expand the experience with additional console stations for free play, spectating, and community engagement throughout the Jamboree.

PlayVS aims to deliver a memorable gaming experience that brings together the excitement of play with the values of leadership, teamwork, and community.

About PlayVS

PlayVS is North America’s leading scholastic and collegiate gaming platform, helping students unlock the educational, social, and personal benefits of competitive gaming. The company brings together students, coaches, educators, and schools through structured, education-aligned competition across K–12 and college. PlayVS is the official esports partner of the NFHS Network, the Special Olympics, and state and regional organizations across the U.S. and Canada. To learn more, visit playvs.com.

Media Contact:
press@playvs.com

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SOURCE PlayVS

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