• The contract’s amount is $112 million and it must be completed by 2026.
• As part of the deal, Firefly Aerospace is required to build a lander for lunar programs. At this stage, the project is being carried out without humans, so the landing module should contain only the equipment necessary for conducting research on the Moon.
• A similar $73 million contract was signed with the company Draper a year earlier. The program’s goal is also the delivery of a payload to the Moon, but in 2025.
• These projects are part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, in which NASA uses private companies to deliver scientific and technical equipment to the lunar surface.

For Firefly Aerospace, which was founded in 2017 by Ukrainian entrepreneur Max Polyakov and which went to orbit for the first time in October 2022, this is already the second contract within the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. In 2021, the company signed a $93.3 million contract with NASA to deliver cargo to the Moon by 2023.

What happened

• On September 3, 2021, at 4:59 am Kyiv time, the Alpha rocket launched, reached supersonic speed, and a few minutes later, the mission was aborted. According to Firefly Aerospace, the rocket had failed because one of its first-stage engines shut down seconds after liftoff.
• In May of this year, the company reported that the rocket’s two stages were shipped from the test and manufacturing facilities to the launch site.
• Now the rocket has undergone minor upgrades related to reducing the level of vibration from the engines.
• According to the publication CNBC, Firefly Aerospace aims to make its second attempt to reach orbit with its Alpha rocket in the coming weeks.

Firefly Aerospace is no longer a Ukrainian company

Firefly Aerospace was formerly co-owned by the Ukrainian entrepreneur Max Polyakov. On February 17, 2022, he announced on his Facebook that he would transfer his share of Firefly Aerospace for $1 to another company’s co-founder Thomas Markusic. The reason for the transfer was a requirement of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), in other words, regulatory pressure. During the five years of operation, the company was repeatedly awarded contracts from the US government (1 / 2 / 3 ) and passed all the necessary security checks. But according to Bloomberg, while Ukraine is a US ally, its ongoing conflict with Russia has exacerbated concerns about what might happen to valuable technology inside the country.

According to Polyakov, he owned 58% of the company. Nevertheless, Alpha is still the rocket that Ukrainian engineers had a hand in, and that would not have existed without the Ukrainian team.

Some facts about the rocket:

• The company has been working on the Alpha rocket since 2014; it belongs to the small-lift launch vehicles.
• After Max Polyakov relaunched Firefly Aerospace in 2017, they made technical changes to its design, increasing its payload capacity from 400 to 1,000 kg. (For delivery to the Low Earth Orbit, at 200 km altitude; it can also deliver up to 630 kg to the Sun-Synchronous Orbit, at 500 km altitude).
• Alpha is one of the largest small-lift rockets. Its length is 29 m (like a 9-floor building), 1.8 m in diameter, its payload fairing is 2 m in diameter.
• It is made of composite materials and has 4x Reaver-1 engines (Stage 1) and 1x Lightning 1 engine (Stage 2).
• Stage 2 has NASA’s experimental Spinnaker-3 drag sail to speed up the stage’s descent from orbit.

According to Polyakov, the mayor of Dnipro Borys Filatov asked him for help. The businessman transferred the money to the “TAPS-Ukraine” foundation in Dnipro, which deals with humanitarian issues and provides support to the Ukrainian defenders. The foundation aims to raise $30 million in 30 days. Polyakov calls on other IT entrepreneurs to join financially. Donations are accepted in fiat or cryptocurrencies USDT, BNB, BTC, or ETH.

“During the Russian aggression, attacks and bombings, many civilian buildings in Ukrainian cities were destroyed. People from Kharkiv, Izum, Mariupol, Severodonetsk, Volnovakha and other Ukrainian cities have lost everything! Now they are seeking for shelter in Dnipro, a humanitarian hub for people who suffered from this horrible war. The fund will help provide food, medical care, temporary homes, and everything necessary for thousands of refugees and injured soldiers who came to Dnipro,”

Polyakov says on Facebook.

Currently, Max Polyakov lives in Great Britain, but he has lived and worked in Dnipro for a long time. In addition to Firefly Aerospace, he founded or co-founded Noosphere, EOS DATA Analytics, HitDynamics, Maxymiser, Murka LLC, Cupid plc, and Renatus.

AIN.Capital has collected created a list of verified resources to support Ukrainian militia, medics, and citizens here:

• According to Polyakov, he owned 58% of the company. Co-founder Thomas Markusic will receive all of the shares.
• The last known valuation of Firefly Aerospace was over $1 billion, which means that Polyakov’s stake was valued at more than $500 million. He said he had transferred his stake to Markusic for $1.
• Polyakov wrote the reason for that decision was pressure from US regulatory agencies.

“I am giving up for 1 usd consideration all my 58% stake in Firefly to my co-founder and partner Tom. Dear CFIUS, Air Force and 23 agencies of USA who betrayed me and judge me in all your actions for past 15 months. I hope now you are happy. History will judge all of you guys. Max love Ukraine and yes I have Ukrainian passport and I am Founder of Firefly !!! Bye my “bird” and at the end of the days I proud what I done for my Land soul and heritage,” Polyakov says on his Facebook.

In December 2021, it was reported that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States asked Polyakov to sell his stake in Firefly Aerospace. As Bloomberg wrote, government and aerospace industry officials have expressed objections to Polyakov’s control of the company amid fears that valuable technology could make its way to Ukraine, Russia, or other nations trying to develop rocket programs. Polyakov said he was willing to go to any lengths to keep the company.

Since 2017, Polyakov has invested about $200 million of his own money in Firefly Aerospace, which was on the verge of bankruptcy as per Arc Technica. During the five years of operation, the company was repeatedly awarded contracts from the US government (1 / 2 / 3 ) and passed all the necessary security checks, Noosphere Ventures reported earlier.

Who is the richest in the IT industry

• 8th place in Top 100 richest Ukrainians in 2021 is taken by the co-founder of the UK-based fintech startup Revolut, Vlad Yatsenko. His net worth is estimated by NV at $1.277B. In July of 2021, Revolut raised $800M, and its valuation increased sixfold: from $5.5B in 2020 to $33B.
• 14th spot is occupied by the founder of the aerospace firm Firefly Aerospace, Max Polyakov, with a fortune of about $540M. In May of 2021, Firefly Aerospace raised nearly $200M, and its valuation went way beyond $1B.

According to AIN.UA’s estimates, the ranking takes just one of Polyakov’s assets, Firefly Aerospace, into account. It was valued at more than $1B even before its launch. The worth of his other aerospace companies and all the IT businesses are not factored in.

• 17th place is held by the owner of Rozetka Vladyslav Chechotkin. According to NV, Chechotkin’s net worth is $472M.

The share of Vladyslav Chechotkin is often miscalculated, with the total attributed to Chechotkin alone. But this includes shares of two entrepreneurs, Vladyslav and Iryna Chechotkin, who own the company that the stake in Rozetka belongs to. Thus, according to AIN.UA’s own calculations, the figure of $472M reported by Novoye Vremya is in the range of $359M to $526M but should be attributed to both stakeholders.

• Spots 23, 24, and 25 are taken by Alex Shevchenko, Dmytro Lider, and Max Lytvyn, the co-founders of Grammarly, an online spelling and grammar checker. NV estimates each one’s net worth at $386M.

In calculating the wealth of the co-founders of Grammarly, the valuation of the company at $2.3B should be factored in, as cited by PitchBook and confirmed by the American Forbes magazine. Considering that the latest round took place back in 2019 (the co-founders’ shares have remained the same) and their cumulative share being 76%, the valuation of the fortunes of Alex Shevchenko, Dmytro Lider, and Max Lytvyn, according to AIN.UA, should be about $582M each, which is $196M more than cited by Novoye Vremya.

• The founder and CEO of Ajax Systems, Aleksandr Konotopskyi, is in 26th place, with a net worth of about $380M.
• No. 30 is occupied by one of the co-founders of GitLab company, Dmytro Zaporozhets, with a fortune of approximately $375M. On October 14, 2021, Gitlab went public on Nasdaq. Today its shares are listed on the market at $113.75 per share, and its total capitalization exceeds $15B. Dmytro Zaporozhets owns 2.5% of the firm’s stock, hence his high position in the ranking.
• 37th spot is taken by the founder of People.ai, Oleg Rogynskyy. NV estimates his net worth at $279M. In August of 2021, People.ai raised $100M as part of a new investment round and was valued at $1.1B. As such, the company became a unicorn. Besides, Oleg Rogynskyy has mentioned that, given the current size of the company, it is time to think about an IPO.
• 42nd and 51st positions are held by the co-founders of the IT company SoftServe Taras Kytsmey ($245M) and Yaroslav Lyubinets ($199M). Taras Vervega ($167M), Yuriy Vasylyk ($131M), and Oleh Denys ($130M) are ranked 63rd, 77th, and 78th, respectively.
• 48th place in Top 100 richest Ukrainians in 2021 is taken by the founder and director of Terrasoft company, Katherine Kostereva, with a net worth of $207M, according to NV.

The calculations by AIN.UA show that the value of Katherine Kostereva’s share is significantly lower. At the time of leaving Terrasoft, Alexander Popov owned a 44.75% stake, valued at $51M. Based on the information that he and Kostereva had equal shares, hers should be valued at $51M too, instead of the $207M cited in the NV ranking.

• Oleksandr Kosovan, CEO and founder of MacPaw, is ranked 52nd. His net worth is estimated at $196M.
• Spots 53, 98, 99, and 100 are taken by the co-founders of Fintech Band, the developers of monobank Dmytro Dubilet with $196M, Oleg Gorokhovskyi — $100M, Yevheniya Kryvenko (Yatsenko) — $100M, and Mykhaylo Rogalskiy — $100M.

Who else has made it into the Top 100 richest Ukrainians in 2021

• 22nd place is occupied by the director general and co-owner of Fozzy Group, Volodymyr Kostelman. His fortune is estimated at $388M. Beside him, the ranking also features Roman Chyhir ($175M) and Oleh Sotnykov ($175M), ranked 58th and 59th, respectively. Fozzy Group also has an IT subdivision, and recently, they have tested a service to compete with zakaz.ua.
• The net worth of $346M has earned 32nd place to Stepan Chernovetskyi, head of the investment company Chernovetskyi Investment Group having some IT projects in its portfolio.
• No. 39 and No. 40 are taken by the co-founders of Nova Poshta, Volodymyr Popereshnyuk and Viacheslav Klymov, with a fortune of about $273M each.
• The developer Vasyl Khmelnytsky with a net worth of $223M is ranked 43rd. His main asset is UFuture Investment Group.
• 91st spot is occupied by the owner of the multistore Comfy, Stanislav Ronis. His net worth is estimated at $111M.

The richest five

At the top of the ranking, like in the last year, comes Rinat Akhmetov, whose fortune is valued at $11.5B (to put this into context: last year, Akhmetov’s wealth was estimated at nearly just half as much, $6.6m). The top 5 also include Viktor Pinchuk ($2.6B), Vadym Novynskyi ($2.44B), Petro Poroshenko ($1.52B), and Kostyantyn Zhevago ($1.497B).

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander is scheduled to touch down in the Mare Crisium lunar basin in September 2023, carrying ten NASA payloads. This mission will be the first of Firefly’s annual lunar surface missions, and passing the critical stage is another step toward fulfilling the company’s plans.

“This milestone marks another step in an aggressive schedule and meeting it continues to showcase our spacecraft team’s ability to consistently deliver incredible work,” stated Dr. Tom Markusic, Firefly’s CEO. “This mission is a forerunner of what we see as a growing cadence of recurring data and payload service missions in cis-lunar space that will kickstart a lunar economy, and we’re honored to be demonstrating our ability to deliver these services for NASA and for our commercial customers.”

As reported by AIN.UA in November 2018, the space agency published a list of nine US companies eligible to bid on NASA delivery services to the lunar surface. Firefly Aerospace was among the selected companies.

In early 2021, NASA announced a partnership with Firefly Aerospace and awarded the company with a $93 million contract for the delivery of science and technology payloads to the Moon in 2023. The delivery, planned for Mare Crisium, will investigate a variety of lunar surface conditions and resources.

The payloads, weighing a total of 94 kg, will include test equipment, including a set of lunar retroreflectors for precise measurements of the distance between Earth and the Moon, radiation-tolerant electronics, devices to analyze the regolith and structure of the lunar mantle, etc.

• According to an internal Firefly document viewed by The Verge, Firefly will send up to 50 of its Reaver engines to the customer in Alameda, California.
• A prototype of such an engine was sent to the customer for about $500,000 back in the spring of 2021. Since then, Astra engineers have been studied it in detail.
• The Firefly engines should help Astra achieve its publicly stated “500kg to 500km” goal. The company’s rocket — called Rocket — has already undergone test launches but still has not reached orbit. The latest iterations of this rocket used an in-house developed Astra engine called Delphin.
• The last attempt to launch the Astra rocket in August 2021 was unsuccessful after one of the five main engines failed a couple of seconds after liftoff.
• Firefly Aerospace carried out the first launch of its Alpha rocket in early September 2021. The rocket successfully launched from the launch pad; however, shortly after liftoff, it exploded due to the failure of one of the engines. Check out the article to read more about this launch.

AIN.UA reached out to Firefly Aerospace for comment, but at the time of writing, the company had not responded.

The launch window was open on September 3 from 4:00 to 8:00 am Kyiv time. Alpha took off over the Pacific Coast at 4:59 am Kyiv time, launching from the US Space Forces Vandenberg, California. The flight was broadcast live.

At 4:14 am Kyiv time, the launch was confirmed, the countdown began, and at 4:57 am, the go for launch command was given. At 4:59, the rocket successfully launched. A few minutes after launch, the mission was aborted due to an issue that is still unknown. The company promises to provide more details about the incident.

Later, photos of the anomaly that occurred during the flight of the rocket appeared:

Some facts about the rocket:

• The company has been working on the Alpha rocket since 2014; it belongs to the small-lift launch vehicles.
• After Max Polyakov relaunched Firefly Aerospace in 2017, they made technical changes to its design, increasing its payload capacity from 400 to 1,000 kg. (For delivery to the Low Earth Orbit, at 200 km altitude; it can also deliver up to 630 kg to the Sun-Synchronous Orbit, at 500 km altitude).
• Alpha is one of the largest small-lift rockets. It is 29 m high (like a 9-floor building), 1.8 m in diameter, its payload fairing is 2 m in diameter.
• It is made of composite materials and has 4x Reaver-1 engines (Stage 1) and 1x Lightning 1 engine (Stage 2).
• Stage 2 has NASA’s experimental Spinnaker-3 drag sail to speed up the stage’s descent from orbit.

About the launch

The Alpha launch was the first-ever launch of a private aerospace company with Ukrainian roots. On September 3, 2021, Alpha had to bring to the orbit academic and educational projects of the winners of the specialized DREAM program to promote the exact sciences.

• The non-technical part were children’s pictures and messages from child hospitals and photos of previous space flights.
• The technical part can vary from 3U up to 27U satellites from world-famous universities and non-profit organizations.

On September 14, Firefly’s launch license will expire. And there is already a new one covering the period from September 15, 2021, to March 15, 2022. Such rockets could be used not only to deliver payloads to orbit but also the Moon as soon as it is needed. In February 2021, NASA announced its partnership with Firefly Aerospace and promised to award the company $93.3 million to deliver scientific and technological equipment to the Moon in 2023.

Update as of August 5, 2021: According to the company, the rocket had to be detonated because one of the engines failed. The company continues to investigate the reasons for this.

In February 2021, it became known that Firefly Aerospace was awarded a $93 million contract by NASA as part of the Artemis program. The agency will award the company $93.3 million for the delivery of scientific and technology payloads to the Moon in 2023. Firefly’s mission will be to deliver the payloads (mostly scientific equipment) to the Mare Crisium. This equipment will be used to study resources and conditions on the lunar surface. This data is important for future lunar missions involving humans.

The Blue Ghost lander, named after the rare Phausis reticulata firefly, will be used to deliver the payloads. It will land in the Mare Crisium and deliver about 150 kg of payloads to the lunar surface. Since the contract was signed, a team of engineers has been conducting regular vision navigation test flights at Firefly’s one-acre Briggs, Texas lunar landscape site.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will carry the module to the lunar orbit.

“The Blue Ghost mission will include delivery of NASA payloads that will support scientific lunar research and will contribute to developing a sustainable presence on the Moon as part of the Artemis program. We’re honored Firefly selected Falcon 9 for launch,” said SpaceX Vice President of Commercial Sales Tom Ochinero. 

“This is a very important mission, with the best minds and the most legendary companies in the space field working on it. This kind of cooperation plays a huge role in the further development of humanity,” commented Firefly Aerospace’s main investor Max Polyakov.

To recap, in early May 2021, the company announced it had raised about $200 million in funding.

Interest in the Series A round far exceeded the $75 million equity being offered. In an effort to satisfy the overwhelming demand in the Series A round, Firefly’s seed investor, Noosphere Ventures, sold approximately $100 million of its holdings of Firefly equity to certain Series A participants and other investors through secondary transactions. Following the forthcoming launch of its flagship Alpha small launch vehicle, Firefly intends to raise an additional $300 million later in 2021 to fund its ambitious growth plans through 2025.

The round was led by DADA Holdings, with participation by Astera Institute, Canon Ball LLC, Reuben Brothers Limited, SMS Capital Investment LLC, Raven One Ventures, The XBTO Ventures and other investors. The Series A capital raise team was led by Darren Ma, Firefly CFO. Investor outreach was led by Eric Salwan, Firefly Co-founder and Director of Commercial Business Development. Jed McCaleb, representing Astera Institute, will join Firefly’s Board of Directors. 

Firefly’s CEO Dr. Tom Markusic stated, “It is gratifying to see such strong investor interest that far exceeded our near-term funding goal of $75M. Firefly is excited to welcome our new partners, prior to our inaugural launch of Alpha. Post launch we will embark on a second, larger round, that will enable Firefly to execute fully its business plan of new spacecraft and launch vehicle development.  With our recent major contract wins and the arrival of new, strong financial partners, 2021 is proving to be a breakout year for Firefly.”

Firefly has previously announced multiple commercial and civil Alpha launch contracts with customers including NASA and General Atomics. Firefly was recently awarded a $93.3 million NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contract to deliver 10 science payloads to the surface of the Moon in 2023 using its Blue Ghost lunar lander. Firefly is completing preparations for the inaugural launch of its Alpha launch vehicle from Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) Space Launch Complex 2 (SLC-2). 

“Noosphere is proud to have supported the early development of Firefly Aerospace and the Alpha launch vehicle. As Firefly transitions into commercial service and embarks on additional ambitious programs such as lunar payload delivery, the time is right to expand the Firefly investor base. We are delighted that Firefly has succeeded in attracting new investors that share Firefly’s long-term vision of ‘Making Space for Everyone’.”

Dr. Max Polyakov, founder of Noosphere Ventures, the largest investor in Firefly Aerospace

Ryan Boland, CIO DADA Holdings & CEO D’Addario Family Office, said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with such an exciting and pioneering organization in Firefly. The first-class management team, best in class technology, and business model providing end-to-end support of the space industry led us to the conclusion that this investment was the appropriate way to capture the long-term trends supporting the space economy.”

Jed McCaleb, Founder of Astera Institute, said, “Space exploration is essential to ensuring our survival beyond our fragile planet. Firefly is engineering the next-generation infrastructure needed for a variety of unprecedented space activities. Its focus on cost and practical considerations ensures these developments will become reality sooner rather than later. Firefly’s boldness, ingenuity, and impatience for the future are the qualities The Astera Institute was created to support.”

• The deal gives Polyakov a foothold in the fast-growing but fiercely competitive small-satellite technology market. The plan is to build up to 48 custom satellites annually. Currently, the company is developing satellite cameras for Earth Observing Systems Data Analytics (EOS), Polyakov’s another satellite analytics company.
• The amount of the deal was not disclosed.
• The plan is to open production sites in the US and Europe. Now Firefly has a large R&D center in Dnipro, but whether a separate platform for Dragonfly Aerospace will appear is still unknown. Firefly Aerospace does not provide any comments.

• Dragonfly will work in partnership with Firefly: Dragonfly’s satellites will be launched on Firefly’s Alpha rocket (its first launch is planned to take place before the end of June). This will also be a source of profit for Firefly and provide the company with a steady stream of orders.
• “It allows us to bring everything in-house,” commented Max Polyakov. Earlier this month, Polyakov said he was building a vertically integrated space business. In addition to Firefly Aerospace and EOS Data Analytics, he already includes electric propulsion systems maker SETS and orbital transfer vehicle provider D-Orbit. And now Dragonfly has joined them.
• Firefly, New Zealand’s startup Rocket Lab, and Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit are leaders in a long list of small-launch providers making money from delivering small satellites. Firefly also plans to raise $350 million in the next 12 months.

• The company will participate in the delivery of these payloads to Mare Crisium. They will be used to investigate conditions on the lunar surface as well as available resources. Such investigations will help prepare for human missions to the lunar surface.
• The payloads, weighing a total of 94 kg, will include test equipment, including a set of lunar retroreflectors for precise measurements of the distance between Earth and the Moon, radiation-tolerant electronics, devices to analyze the regolith and structure of the lunar mantle, etc.
• The award is part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, in which NASA secures the support of commercial companies to quickly deliver the science and technology payloads on the lunar surface. This initiative is a key part of the Artemis program, which has the goal of landing people on the Moon and building a habitable settlement there.

Previously, a subsidiary of Firefly Aerospace was awarded a $9.8 million contract by NASA to launch small satellites to space.

According to the NASA press service, the value of the contract is $9.8 million.

 Microsats launch

The contracts were signed under NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP), which involves the launch of small satellites, including CubeSats, miniature cubic satellites made up of multiples of 10 cm cubic units.

NASA notes that the launch of small satellites will be in demand for future science missions of the aerospace agency, and now these missions will demonstrate the ability to launch small payloads by private companies.

Three companies signed contracts under the program, but Firefly Black LLC got the biggest one:

• Astra Space Inc.: $3.9M
• Relativity Space Inc.: $3M
• Firefly Black LLC: $9.8M

About Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace is a U.S. company that provides convenient access to space for small payloads through the manufacture of reliable launch vehicles. The company is headquartered in Austin, TX, and has an R&D center in Dnipro, Ukraine.

In 2017, Firefly Aerospace was relaunched by serial entrepreneur Max Polyakov. According to various estimates, between $75 million and $100 million was invested in the company.

In 2017, Firefly Aerospace was relaunched by the serial entrepreneur Max Polyakov. According to various estimates, the company has raised between $75 million and $100 million of investments. The idea of the enterprise is not to send big and expensive rockets into space but to use light and commercially viable launch vehicles to deliver small payloads into orbit.

Firefly Aerospace is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and its R&D center is located in Ukrainian Dnipro. There, the company conducts research and studies experimental products in the field of industrial technology.

AIN.UA editorial office has prepared a photo report from Firefly Aerospace’s Dnipro facility.

According to SpaceWorks, nearly 300 satellites weighing between 1 and 50 kg each, are delivered to space annually. Research, data collection, and certain communication tasks have long been handled even by smaller space vehicles.

However, the advancement of the sector is still hampered by the delivery methods – the light ones have to adjust to the rare launches of heavy-lift Falcon or Airlane class rockets; besides, for many of them, Low Earth Orbit is enough. The Alpha launch vehicle by Firefly Aerospace is intended to address the issue – while the launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 costs between $60 million and $100 million, for Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha $15 million is enough.

The Alpha rocket is designed to launch payloads of up to 1 metric ton to a height of 200 km maximum, and those of approximately 600 kg into Sun Synchronous Orbit, which is 500 km. The company is now also developing the Beta launch vehicle consisting of three Alpha cores and a modernized upper-stage engine. It will cost $35 million per launch, delivering payloads of up to 4 metric tons into Low Earth Orbit, those of up to 3 metric tons into Sun Synchronous Orbit, and those of 1 metric ton into Geostationary Orbit.

In Dnipro, Firefly Aerospace occupies 4000 m² premises that previously belonged to the plant “Sfera”. This is not a plant in the conventional sense. Firefly Aerospace is a product company that makes money off not selling rockets or technologies but delivering cargoes. That is why the facility serves not for manufacturing production samples, but for R&D, searching for new, and optimizing existing, technical methods of producing space rocket components.

Here, researchers develop rocket automation aggregates, parts of combustion chambers and turbo-pumps. For example, the first Alpha rocket has already been provided with electro-pneumatic valves for the engine’s pneumatic unit and air-operated valves for feeding the propellant components. The next steps will be the test firing at a special stand, already under construction, and the complete cycle of rocket propulsion systems in Ukraine.

“With the adoption of the law No.1071 allowing private companies to engage in space activities in Ukraine, it became possible to conduct test firings: that’s a pro. In practice, the bureaucracy in obtaining permission documentation for export hasn’t grow less yet, but I hope for the better.”

Oleksandr Dondyk, Director of Firefly Aerospace’s Dnipro facility

As of 2020, the Ukrainian team of Firefly Aerospace consists of 200 people. These are projecting engineers, design engineers, technicians, lathe and milling machine operators, millwrights and test engineers. Notably, 40% are design engineers. 19 of them are Candidates of Sciences, one is Doctor of Sciences. The workers are between 30 and 35 years old, on average. For the most part, they were invited from a related industry (e. g. Yuzhnoye Design Office and PA Yuzhmash). Besides, there are some Physics and Technology graduates from OH DNU, a university in Dnipro, which, historically, has prepared rocket and space equipment specialists.

The facility is divided into four zones: the blank production area, the area for the additional machining of blanks to bring them to the fitting dimensions, the quality control and testing area, and the work management area.

The 3D-printing area. Here, they print with various metal powders, chiefly with Inconel, a nickel-chromium-based superalloy.

In the 3D printer, a laser beam fuses the metal into blanks.

Depowdering unit for 3D-printed parts. Here, the pressure is applied to remove metallic dust from the workpiece.

Traditionally, part blanks were fabricated by casting, pressing, forging, rolling and other methods. But these have a number of restrictions for the manufacturing of complex parts, especially those with complex internal contours, narrow channels or thin walls. Properly harnessed, additive manufacturing allows to circumvent some of the restrictions, simplify the technology, as well as reduce the time and cost of producing parts. What was previously done (and is, in places, still done) for 3 months, is done in 3 days at the Firefly facility. Combined with new technology, top-level equipment for the additional machining of blanks, and supercomputers for modeling, this is of value, and everyone in the world is heading for it, each in his own way.

Oleksandr Dondyk, Director of Firefly Aerospace’s Dnipro facility

Blank machining area

Milling

Four-axis milling of the parts of a turbo-pump assembly (TPA), a pump installed onto every rocket engine, for the simultaneous feeding of the fuel and the oxidizer: kerosene and oxygen, in this case.

Milling of the valve body. Valves serve to control not only the propellant feed but also the feed of the compressed air, nitrogen, and helium carried by a rocket. Helium is usually used instead of air in high-altitude stages – it has higher energy content, better compressibility, more of it can be pumped into a cylinder, and it is also low temperature resistant.

The machine is used to bring down to size the exhaust manifold of a turbo-pump assembly, through which the hot gases, i. e. the combustion products which drive the turbine, are emitted. One shaft holds the turbine to which the gas is fed, next is the oxidizer pump, and next, the fuel pump. And all these are connected with a single shaft and are fully synchronized with each other – the two pumps and one hot chamber driving the two pumps.

Milling of a plate-type workpiece.

Turning and milling operations with welding mountings on a five-axis machining center. In the photo, there is a support element on the machine, made at the same machine.

A five-axis machining center is a machine allowing to handle large parts, with very high speeds of metal cutting and the precision within 5 microns. “One of the best inventions in metal machining,” its operator tells us.

Turning process

Milling of a plate-type workpiece.

Turning of a valve body part. This is where the 3D-printed blank is forced into the “coupling size” – down to the microns, part to part.

The turret of a machining center with CNC – such turret can bear multiple tools at once, which automatically work and switch according to the algorithm.

Inner boring of a hole in the valve part on the machining center with CNC.

Other processing methods

Robotic welding complex. Argon arc welding [Editor’s note: also known as tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding] of valve parts.

Muffle furnace for the heat treatment of metal – tempering, softening and aging of Inconel, titanium and other stainless alloys, at the temperature of about 1,300 ℃.

The process of retrieving the container with parts from the furnace. For example, titanium requires heat treatment.

The process of the heat treatment of metal. It involves the cyclic heating of parts, and then, their deep chilling (the temperature is below −70 ℃). Depending on the type of work stock, there can be between 1 and 4 heating-cooling cycles.

Blank cutting at a band saw.

Quality control and testing

Measuring arm at the assembly section. The process of measuring the geometry of the TPA parts.

The measuring arm. The process of measuring the geometry of the TPA parts.

The process of controlling the geometrical parameters with a coordinate-measuring machine.

The automatic unit testing area.

Electronics

Electrotechnical laboratory. Here is where the electronic stuffing of the rocket engine test control center and the telemetry data analysis system were created.

The process of winding electrical coils for solenoid-operated valves. A coil-winding machine. It allows applying the winding with turns touching, tensely, without damaging the insulation coating of the wire. Coils produced at the facility are resistant to water, cold (−70 ℃), and heat (+120 ℃).

Job openings

The Dnipro facility is constantly looking for trained personnel. Now, there are eight job openings.

According to Taran, the preliminary value of the contract is $15 million.

This amount will allow the company to repay its debts. As of 2019, the total debt of the Southern Machine-Building Plant is UAH 375 million. This includes wage arrears, electricity, and taxes.

The plant is to produce rocket parts, including 100 combustion chambers, 500 automation units, and 40 turbopumps, for Firefly Aerospace.

“Such cooperation was made possible thanks to the bill allowing private companies into space industry adopted a month ago,” the expert wrote.

AIN.UA wrote earlier about the bill allowing private companies into the space industry in Ukraine.

OSP-4 is a follow-on to the OSP-3 program, which expires this November. SpaceX and Northrop Grumman were the only companies that participated in the previous program.

As part of the OSP-4 program, the participants will launch into orbit loads weighing more than 180 kg. The launch will have to take place within 12-24 months after the order is received. The article does not say how the organizers will choose the performer from eight participating companies.

OSP-4 will last nine years, and its total cost will be $985 million. At least 20 launches will take place under the program. The organizers note that the OSP-4 program is intended to give the government options to launch missions as needs emerge.

The company has an engineering research center in Ukraine. In 2017, the company was restarted by the American-Ukrainian entrepreneur Max Polyakov.

What the lunar lander will look like

It will borrow the technology of the Israeli Beresheet lunar lander, which was developed by Israel Aerospace Industries.

He fell on the surface of the Moon in April 2019 due to a failure occurred in the engine. Beresheet was to become the first private lander on the surface of the satellite. After its collapse, the development of Beresheet 2 was planned.

Instead, Firefly Aerospace uses the design and core technology of the project. Agreements on the use of intellectual property have already been signed. The new lunar lander will be called Genesis.

Specifications of Genesis have not yet been disclosed, as well as the date of its possible launch. Firefly Aerospace hasn’t launched rockets yet – its first lightweight carrier Alpha should fly in December 2019. In its turn, Genesis should be brought into orbit by a Beta rocket. It has not been constructed yet.

How NASA, Firefly and Luna are connected

Firefly Aerospace is one of 9 companies with which NASA will collaborate on sending descending vehicles to the Moon as part of the NASA CLPS program.

Among other applicants for cargo delivery to the satellite surface there are Lockheed Martin, Astrobotic, Moon Express, Masten Space Systems, Deep Space Systems, Draper, Intuitive Machines, Orbit Beyond. The total amount of contracts under the program exceeds $2.6 billion.

The company was established on the basis of Firefly Space Systems, which was bought and relaunched by the Ukrainian entrepreneur and founder of Noosphere Ventures Maxym Polyakov in 2017. The company develops light transporters for cargo delivery to near-Earth orbit. Its head office is located in the USA, however, the R&D center of the enterprise has opened in Dnipro. There they are developing an electric jet engine and a satellite. However, so far, the company has not conducted test or commercial launches, the first tests are scheduled for 2019, when it will have access to the spaceport.

Photo: Prototypes of the launch vehicle and landing probe from Firefly

The total amount of contracts that CLPS members can receive is more than $ 2.6 billion. The number of possible missions, as well as the amount of remuneration for each, is not disclosed. The agency is considering the option of providing funds for the development of equipment and research, The Verge reports with reference to Thomas Zurbuhen, NASA Deputy Division for Scientific Missions. However, NASA does not expect all 9 enterprises to succeed in conquering the Moon.

The CLPS program will be the first step towards re-sending a man to the Moon. President Trump signed the relevant directive in December 2017. Since then, the agency has been developing a complex plan for its implementation. Small scientific devices, created and launched by private companies, should expand the concept of resources available on the Moon. For example, to find ice, which is useful for creating rocket fuel. The technologies tested on the vehicles will be able to create a full-fledged pilot-controlled lander module. The agency also plans to build the Gateway orbital station, which will serve as a kind of outpost for astronauts and ships traveling to the Moon.