A Guide to Space Tech Company Firefly Aerospace, owned by Max Polyakov

We look at Firefly Aerospace, a company founded by Max Polyakov, an entrepreneur with a strong background in space exploration, engineering and innovation.

Previously known as Firefly Space Systems, Firefly Aerospace plan to launch their latest Alpha rocket by the end of this year. Originally, the company was acquired by the founder of Noosphere Maxim Polyakov in 2016. It was a bold move that thankfully saved the organisation from bankruptcy. The company has since made impressive gains in space tech development. Let’s find out more about their ethos, current developments and future plans.

The Alpha Model

The coronavirus pandemic has been a troubling time for everybody, including the space industry. It caused Firefly Aerospace to delay the launch of its Alpha model. However, plans are back in place to launch later this year.

To stand out in the market, Max Polyakov knew that he had to rethink the Alpha design. He and his team redesigned the Alpha concept for three years, coming up with a rocket that was lighter and could take larger numbers of payloads per trip. Initially, the rocket could take a payload of up to 500 kg, but it has now been expanded to over 1300 kg. The weight and diameter of their new rocket have also been made as small as possible for added efficiency.

The newest Alpha 2.0 is a two-layer structure rocket with a height of 95 feet. It has a carbon fibre composite storage area with a 6.6-foot diameter. The model consists of two parts - the first takes the structure into space and the other places satellites into the Low Earth Orbit. It’s an engineered and optimised design and like structure. It features the latest high thrust engine and propulsion technology, as well as a more efficient motorised pump.

Space X and Firefly

You may have heard of Space X, but they are not a competitor to Firefly. Firefly’s mission is to produce low-cost and efficient rockets that can take several small satellites into the Low Earth Orbit. In contrast, Space X is a company that tries to take large cargoes into space. Their rockets are primarily used in ridesharing missions, much like Rocket Lab’s Electron or India’s PSLV.

Firefly also tries to keep things as low-cost as possible, with average launch costs of $15 million compared to Space X’s Falcon9 which costs $65 million per launch. It is clear that many companies are on board with Firefly’s ethos and favour their business sense. Numerous small-scale commercial companies have been working with Firefly to launch satellites for scientific research, observation and communication needs.

Conclusion

Firefly Aerospace’s future seems set for the time being. In fact, they have signed agreements to take multiple payloads during their latest missions. Currently, there are working hard in collaboration with Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. If everything goes to plan as scheduled, their latest launch test will give them a larger portion of the CubeSat market. Exciting times!