The Inside Look of Max Polyakov’s Firefly Aerospace's Ukraine Facility

Although Firefly Aerospace is headquartered in Austin, Texas, it has a facility in Dnipro, Ukraine, to research and test technologies. The facility in Ukraine is part of the efforts by Max Polyakov to restore the country's space sector.

The Inside Look of Max Polyakov’s Firefly Aerospace's Ukraine Facility

Firefly Aerospace, co-founded by Max Polyakov, develops small, satellite launch vehicles. The company aims to use the light launch vehicles for cargo delivery into the orbit and not to send big rockets into space. That is, it generates revenue by delivering cargos, and not from selling technologies or rockets. It is estimated that the company has attracted $75million-$100 million in investment. The company carried out a trial of Four Reaver Engines in January 3, 2020. This was the final critical test on Firefly Alpha before the launch at California's Vanderberg Air Base.

The delivery method is one of the factors hampering the advancement of the space sector. Light or small launches are forced to adjust to launches of heavy launch vehicles like Airlane and Falcon. While Falcon launch vehicle by SpaceX costs $60million-$100 million, Alpha costs only $15 million. Alpha can launch a payload of at most one metric ton to a maximum height of 200 km. It can also launch a payload of about 600 kg into Sun Synchronous Orbit, which is approximately 500 km.

Apart from Alpha, Firefly is also developing Beta launch vehicle, which comprises a modern upper-stage engine and three Alpha cores. It will cost the company about $35 million per launch and deliver up to 4 metric tons of payload into Low Earth Orbit and up to three metric tons of payload into Sun Synchronous Orbit.

The Facility is for Researching and Developing New Technologies

Although the company is headquartered in Austin, Texas, it has a research and development center in Dnipro. The research and testing of industrial technologies take place at the R&D center in Dnipro. The R&D center occupies an area of about 400M2. The facility serves as a research center for new technologies and improving the existing ones. Experts working at the R & D Center in Dnipro develop parts of turbopump and combustion chambers and aggregates for rocket automation. Test firing for Firefly Alpha will be conducted here.

The Firefly team working in Ukraine consists of 200 people, including design engineers, project engineers (40% of all workers), test engineers, and machine operators. These workers are slightly young, averaging 30-35 years old. Most of them transferred from related industries, including PA Yuzhmash and Yuzhnoye Design Office. Some graduates are also from OH Dnipro National University, Dnipro, a historically rich hub for rocketry. R&D Center is divided into four zones. These are testing and quality control zone, blank production section, additional blank machining area, and work management area.

Conclusion    

Firefly Aerospace's facility in Dnipro, Ukraine, is a research center where new technologies are tested and existing ones improved. According to Max Polyakov, the facility offers opportunities for young professionals and graduates to get involved in the development of space.