Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace, Inc.
legal form	Incorporated
founding	2014/2017
Seat	Cedar Park , Texas , United States
management	Thomas Markusic, Max Poljakow, Mark Watt (directors)
Number of employees	approx. 320 (end of 2018)
Branch	Space travel
Website	firefly.com

Figure: Alpha (2018)

Firefly Aerospace is a US - Ukrainian aerospace company. Firefly is developing two launch vehicles : the Alpha (also Firefly α ) for payloads up to 1  t and the Beta ( Firefly β ) for payloads up to 8 t. A first flight of the Alpha is planned for 2020.

Firefly Aerospace means " Firefly -Aerospace". A stylized firefly also forms the company logo.

history

In January 2014 the engineer Thomas Markusic founded the company Firefly Space Systems . It was one of many small rocket manufacturers that emerged in anticipation of a boom in the small satellite market . Markusic had previously worked for NASA , SpaceX , Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic . With Firefly he started the development of the two-stage rocket Alpha . It should use methane as fuel and be able to transport 400 kg payload. As a special innovation, an engine with twelve combustion chambers in an aerospike arrangement was planned for the first rocket stage . Like SpaceX, Firefly Space Systems was initially based in Hawthorne , California , but after nine months it relocated to Cedar Park , a suburb of the Texas capital Austin .

In the founding year, a legal dispute with Virgin Galactic overshadowed the course of business. Virgin accused Markusic, among other things, of stealing trade secrets and materials and using them for the development of the Alpha. He has since destroyed the evidence for this. As Firefly engineers began testing the new aerospike engine, the dispute with Virgin escalated. In August 2016, an arbitration tribunal upheld the accusation of destruction of evidence. Shortly afterwards, an important investor withdrew. Firefly got into a financial crisis and had to cease operations. As a result, the only start order issued by NASA was lost.

The assets of the insolvent rocket manufacturer were bought by the Ukrainian investor Max Polyakov in 2017. Polyakov formed from the new Firefly Aerospace, Inc . The company's operational headquarters remained in Cedar Park; In 2018 there was also a development office in Dnipro , the center of the Ukrainian space industry. Soon more people were working in the Ukrainian branch than in the USA.

Under Polyakov's control, the planned missile was considerably enlarged; In addition, a conventional engine design was also chosen for the first stage. First tests of the complete engine took place in March 2019. The development of the second stage was already further advanced at this point; it successfully completed a five-minute test run in April.

In October 2019, Firefly announced that it would collaborate with Aerojet Rocketdyne on engine development .

Locations and facilities

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (2nd from right) at the opening of the Firefly branch in Dnipro

Firefly's development work is split between the two facilities in Cedar Park and Dnipro. The company also operates a production and test center about 50 kilometers north of the Texas headquarters.

Two existing launch ramps on the US east and west coast are to be taken over and prepared for the rocket launches . Highly inclined orbits are to be operated from Space Launch Complex 2W at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. This launch site was used for the Delta II until 2018 . Space Launch Complex 20 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, which was closed in 2000, is intended for smaller orbit inclines . In the vicinity of the SLC-20 - in the "Exploration Park" industrial park at the Kennedy Space Center - a factory for series production of the Alpha is also to be built. ^[date] at this site are among others already factories for large rocket New Glenn and OneWeb - communications satellites .

Firefly Alpha

use

Even in its enlarged form, the Alpha is a vehicle for launching small satellites . The manufacturer mentions 1000 kg as the payload capacity for low earth orbits (LEO). Up to 630 kg should be able to be transported in a 500 km high sun-synchronous orbit (SSE). With an additionally planned kick stage, it should also be possible to transport 600 kg into geostationary orbits and 500 kg to the moon. For a later version of the rocket, more than 800 kg SSO payload capacity is targeted.

Firefly concluded various framework agreements to market the rocket. Among other things, agreements exist with the British satellite manufacturer Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL), the US launch agent Spaceflight Industries , the Italian space service provider D-Orbit and the multinational aerospace company Airbus Defense and Space . The price per start should be around 15 million US dollars.

The first flight of the Alpha was initially planned for 2016. As usual in the space industry, this date has been postponed several times. In June 2019, a first flight was announced for 2020.

Thomas Markusic named the PSLV rocket from the Indian space agency ISRO as the most important competitor product . Competition is also emerging directly in the USA with the RS1 from ABL Space Systems and the Terran 1 from Relativity Space .

technical structure

Functional diagram of all Firefly engines (simplified)

The Alpha is designed as a two-stage rocket. An optional third stage, which would be transported as a kick stage within the payload section, has been announced since November 2018; At least until May 2019, however, no development schedule has yet been announced.

The outer shell and tanks of the first and second rocket stages, as well as the payload fairing, are made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic . Thanks to this lightweight construction , the almost 30-meter-high rocket weighs only 3.8 tons. The maximum take-off mass including fuel and payload is 54 tons.

All Alpha engines are powered by rocket kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen . They are regeneratively cooled and work according to the tap-off cycle ; that is, the nozzle wall is cooled with the fuel passed through, while the fuel and oxygen pumps are driven by a turbine , which in turn is operated with hot gas drawn off from the combustion chamber . In the first stage there are four such motors with the designation Reaver 1 , in the second one called Lightning 1 ("Blitz 1"). Firefly gives the total thrust in the vacuum as 736  kN for the first and 70 kN for the second stage. However, the first stage would not be used in a vacuum, but within the atmosphere, where the engines generate less thrust.

Further technical data are listed in the data table .

Starts

In July 2019, Firefly announced that the Alpha had launch contracts worth $ 560 million. At a price of $ 15 million each, this equates to around 35–40 starts. With the exception of a test satellite for SSTL, however, no commercial customers or payloads were named. On its first flight, Firefly transports payloads for academic purposes free of charge.

The following planned launches are known individually (as of April 23, 2020):

Date ( UTC )	Launch site	Customer / payload	Type / purpose of the payload	Payload (kg) 2	Orbit 3
2020	VAFB SLC-2W	Spinnaker 3 NPS-Centix-Orbital 1 TIS Cubekit BSS1 Hiapo Magneto FossaCon-1 Cresst Dream Comet Firefly Capsule 1	Awning communication experiment flight data acquisition technology testing research experiments eight Pocketqubes technology testing time capsule		LEO
2020	VAFB SLC-2W	Carbonite-4 More Payloads?	Experimental satellite		LEO
Mid-2021	VAFB SLC-2W	Spaceflight rideshare	multiple satellites		LEO
from 2022 several starts		Satlantis	Earth observation satellites		LEO

²Take-off mass of the payload including carried fuel ( wet mass ).

³Track height at which the payload is to be suspended; not necessarily the target orbit of the payload.

Firefly Beta and Lunar Lander

At least until the end of 2018, the beta only existed on paper. Before building it, Firefly wanted to focus on completing the Alpha. 2022–2023 was named as a possible period for an initial beta start .

In a first concept, this rocket resembled a Delta IV Heavy or Falcon Heavy : It should consist of three alpha first stages mounted next to each other and a second stage, which - unlike the Delta and Falcon - will be enlarged and strengthened. So the Beta should be 31 meters high and get a much larger payload section. For the second stage engine called Lightning 2 , 163 kN vacuum thrust was planned. The maximum take-off mass should increase to 150 tons, the payload capacity to 4000 kg LEO and 3000 kg SSO.

In connection with the Aeorjet-Rocketdyne cooperation, Firefly announced a complete overhaul of the beta design in October 2019. The two side boosters should be omitted, but the rest of the rocket will be significantly enlarged. A maximum payload of 8000 kg LEO and a reusability of the first stage are now aimed for. Instead of Reaver engines, Firefly is considering using the AR1 from Aerojet Rocketdyne for the first stage . According to the manufacturer, this engine generates approx. 2220  kN of thrust and was initially discussed for the large rocket Vulcan , before the manufacturer decided on the BE-4 from Blue Origin .

Firefly Aerospace is participating in the beta of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program launched in 2018 . As part of this program, the company can make offers to NASA for the launch of future moon landing devices. In July 2019, the company also announced the development of its own CLPS moon lander in cooperation with the Israeli aerospace company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The technology developed for the Beresheet lander is to be used. A first moon landing is planned for the 4th quarter of 2021.

Firefly gamma

Firefly also presented a concept for a two-stage rocket plane called the Gamma . Like the space shuttle, it should take off vertically, but land as an airplane and be three-quarters of the way reusable. Optionally, take-offs from a carrier aircraft should also be possible. The main purpose is to launch small satellites, but cargo transports at hypersonic speeds are also conceivable.

Data table

	alpha	Beta (old)	Beta (2019)
height	29.75 m	31 m	> 31 m
Ø payload section	2.2 m	2.8 m
Drive first stage  vacuum thrust  motor starts	4 × Reaver 1 736 kN 1	12 × Reaver 1 2208 kN 1
Drive second stage  vacuum thrust  motor starts	1 × Lightning 1 70 kN Up to 2	1 × Lightning 2 163 kN Up to 2
Engine throttling	20-100%
Fuel / oxidizer	RP-1 / liquid oxygen
Tank pressure fluid	Heated helium
Takeoff mass	54.1 t	149.0 t
Max. Payload LEO	1000 kg	4000 kg	8000 kg
... 500 km SSE	630 kg	3000 kg
... GEO with kick stage	600 kg	?

Version 1.0 of the Payload User's Guide from August 2018 also specifies a trunk diameter of 1.8 meters.

Web links

• Firefly Aerospace website

Individual evidence

Unless otherwise stated, the certificates are in English.

1. ↑ ^{a b} 8 ракет в год. Кто задумал возродить космический бизнес в Украине. In: League Tech. December 29, 2018, Retrieved May 11, 2019 (Russian). 
2. ↑ Eric Berger: After a remarkable resurrection, Firefly may reach space in 2019. In: Ars Technica. February 11, 2019, accessed May 10, 2019 . 
3. ^ Jacob Aron: Next generation of space cowboys get ready to fly. In: New Scientist. July 8, 2014, accessed December 13, 2018 . 
4. ↑ Debra Werner: Firefly Aims To Build the 'Model T of Rockets'. In: Spacenews. November 23, 2015, accessed May 10, 2019 . 
5. ^ Hawthorne-based rocket company to move to Texas. In: Daily Breeze. Associated Press, November 9, 2014, accessed May 13, 2019 . 
6. ↑ Doug Messier: Former Propulsion Chief Accuses Virgin Galactic of Lying About SpaceShipTwo's Safety, Performance. In: Parabolic Arc. January 12, 2016, accessed May 11, 2019 . 
7. ^ Jeff Foust: Firefly Space Systems furloughs staff after investor backs out. In: Spacenews. October 3, 2016, accessed January 18, 2019 . 
8. ↑ Jeff Foust: Rocket Lab launches cubesats for NASA. In: Spacenews. December 16, 2018, accessed May 10, 2019 . 
9. ↑ Doug Messier: Celebrate Independence Day by Buying a Rocket Test Facility. In: Parabolic Arc. June 5, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2019 . 
10. ↑ Максим Овчаренко: Що планує приватна космічна компанія Firefly Aerospace в Україні. In: uprom.info. July 27, 2018, accessed May 11, 2019 (Ukrainian). 
11. ↑ Twitter message from Firefly Aerospace, March 29, 2019.
12. ↑ Eric Berger: Firefly has successfully tested the upper stage of its Alpha rocket. In: Ars Technica. April 29, 2019, accessed May 11, 2019 . 
13. ^ ^{A b} Caleb Henry: Firefly partners with Aerojet Rocketdyne, mulls AR1 engine for Beta launch vehicle. In: Spacenews. October 18, 2019, accessed October 18, 2019 . 
14. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Payload User's Guide. (PDF; 43 MB) Version 2.0. Firefly Aerospace, August 2019, accessed September 28, 2019 . 
15. ^ Karen Graham: Firefly Aerospace to establish factory and launch site in Florida. In: Digital Journal. February 25, 2019, accessed May 12, 2019 . 
16. ^ Jeff Foust: Commercial, not government, demand will drive size of small launch vehicle market. In: Spacenews. May 8, 2019, accessed May 10, 2019 . 
17. ↑ ^{a b} Orbital Transfer Vehicle Payload User's Guide. (PDF) Firefly Aerospace, May 2019, accessed May 30, 2019 . 
18. ^ Aerojet Rocketdyne and Firefly Aerospace to Provide Flexible Access to Space . Press release from Firefly Aerospace and Aerojet Rocketdyne, October 18, 2019.
19. ↑ ^{a b c} Jeff Foust: SSTL orders launches from Firefly Aerospace. In: Spacenews. June 4, 2018, accessed May 10, 2019 . 
20. ↑ Eric Berger: Rocket Report: Soyuz soars, Firefly plans, SpaceX warns of European aid. In: Ars Technica. December 21, 2018, accessed May 10, 2019 . 
21. ↑ D-orbit signs framework agreement with Firefly to acquire launch capacity. In: Space Daily. March 5, 2019, accessed May 10, 2019 . 
22. ↑ Annamarie Nyirady: Firefly Helps Airbus With Launch Solutions. In: Via Satellite. March 19, 2019, accessed May 10, 2019 . 
23. ↑ 6 Technologies for Space Debris Removal. In: nanalyze.com. June 25, 2019, accessed July 25, 2019 . 
24. ↑ James Dean: New Alpha rocket will launch test flights from KSC. In: Florida Today. October 15, 2015, accessed May 13, 2019 . 
25. ↑ ^{a b} Tyler Gray: Firefly prepares for maiden flight with critical testing, new additions. In: Nasaspacelflight.com. June 6, 2019, accessed June 6, 2019 . 
26. ^ Jeff Foust: Small rockets, new and renewed. In: The Space Review. August 21, 2017. Retrieved May 14, 2019 . 
27. ↑ Twitter message from Jeff Foust, Spacenews, November 27, 2018.
28. ↑ launch otv - Firefly Aerospace. In: fireflyspace.com. Retrieved May 10, 2019 . 
29. ↑ ^{a b} Launch-alpha - Firefly Aerospace. In: fireflyspace.com. Retrieved December 13, 2018 . 
30. ^ Firefly Aerospace Welcomes Brad Schneider as Chief Revenue Officer. In: prnewswire.com. Firefly, July 24, 2019, accessed July 25, 2019 . 
31. ↑ Eric Berger: Firefly opens first Alpha rocket launch to academic and educational payloads . Ars Technica, June 17, 2019.
32. ↑ Twitter message from Jeff Foust, Spacenews, February 5, 2020.
33. ↑ Carbonate 4 (CBNT 4). In: Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved May 10, 2019 . 
34. ↑ Carbonite-4 is a further development of the microsatellites Carbonite-1 and -2 ( Watching the world go by . SSTL, 2018), which weighed only around 100 kg ( Carbonite-1 and Carbonite-2 on Gunter's Space Page). The payload capacity of a Firefly Alpha will therefore probably only be used to a fraction.
35. ↑ Firefly signs launch agreement with Spaceflight . Spacenews, April 22, 2020.
36. ↑ SATLANTIS enters into Launch Services Agreement with Firefly Aerospace . Firefly press release dated February 4, 2020.
37. ↑ Twitter message from Jeff Foust, Spacenews, November 27, 2018.
38. ↑ Twitter message from Jeff Foust, October 22, 2019; with a planned launch of Alpha in the first half of 2020.
39. ^ Launch beta - Firefly Aerospace. In: fireflyspace.com. Retrieved May 10, 2019 . 
40. ↑ AR1 engine . Aerojet Rocketdyne, accessed October 19, 2019.
41. ^ Firefly Aerospace Concept for Launch Vehicle with Moon Lander. NASA, November 29, 2018, accessed May 12, 2019 . 
42. ↑ Jeff Foust: Firefly to partner with IAI on lunar lander. In: Spacenews. July 9, 2019, accessed July 9, 2019 . 
43. ↑ Genesis. Firefly Aerospace, accessed September 15, 2019 . 
44. ^ Launch-gamma - Firefly Aerospace. In: fireflyspace.com. Retrieved May 10, 2019 . 
45. ^ Emilee Speck: What to know about Firefly Aerospace, the Cape's newest commercial space resident. In: clickorlando.com. February 22, 2019, accessed May 12, 2019 . 
46. ↑ Payload User's Guide. (PDF; 2.5 MB) Firefly Aerospace, August 10, 2018, accessed on May 12, 2019 . 

Coordinates: 30 ° 32 '4.6 "  N , 97 ° 47" 59.2 "  W.