The Project: Production Facility Of Firefly Aerospace Found By Max Polyakov In Ukraine

Check out what Max Polyakov is into in Firefly Aerospace Production Facility in Ukraine – the Production Zones and Processes for Rocket Components.

Firefly Aerospace is one of the biggest companies that deal with ultralight launch vehicles for satellite systems. Its headquarters are located in Austin, Texas, as well as the Research and Development Center in Dnipro, Ukraine. The co-founder of this startup, Max Polyakov, has invested his time into rocketry for the increase in revenue generated annually.

After going through a bankruptcy phase, the company relaunched in 2017 and became one of the largest suppliers of launch vehicles for space systems. Currently, Firefly works as a source for both Communication and Earth Observation Satellites.

One of the exciting things about this company is its production facility in Ukraine, with lots of equipment used in making rocket components. This place has a 4000m² area. It was previously owned by “Sfera,” and it only makes money off delivering cargoes to different parts of the world.

The Past and The Future of Launch Vehicles

Annually, Spacework records over 300 satellites sent to space. Each of these satellites weighs between 1 and 50 kg, depending on the number of payloads. Firefly Aerospace has confidently been a part of this annual project with its most significant launch vehicle – Alpha.

Alpha Launch Vehicle supports a metric ton of payloads over a height of 200 km. However, the ton of payloads is equivalent of 600 Kg into Sun Synchronous Orbit. This vehicle is cheaper compared to SpaceX’s Falcon 9. The latter costs $15 Million while the former costs between $60 to $100 Million. Therefore, Alpha Launch Vehicle is a better option.

In the future, the company aims at making a Beta Launch Vehicle. The new prototype will have four metric tons of payloads but in a different direction. The first three metric tons will go into Low Earth Orbit while the last metric ton will be directed into Sun Synchronous Orbit. Also, this Beta version will have 3 Alpha Cores, which means increased performance.

Presently, Firefly Aerospace, under the leadership of Max Polyakov, has just concluded its 165-second trial of 4 Reaver Engines, which was requested by Vanderberg Air Force Base in California. The testing was needed to prove the efficacy of the system.

Conclusion: Zones for Production of Launch Vehicles for Satellites

Ukrainian Production Facility has over 200 skilled employees. Some of them are Design Engineers, Projecting Engineers, Technicians, Operators, and so on. There are four zones in this facility – Blank Production Zone, Additional Machining of Blank Zone, Quality Control and Testing Zone, and Work Management Zone.

Blank Production Zone

This area is where metal powders are coated into blanks using a laser beam under a 3D Printer.

Machining Zone

Here, 3D-printed blanks are milled and turned using machines.

Quality Control and Testing Zone

The end-product of whatever was produced will be put into the first and second tests in this area.

Work Management Zone

The last zone is where all employees are managed for their respective services.

Without a doubt, Ukraine’s Production Facility is well-organized, and there is a lot to come from there in the future.