Another tweet from jeffMarkusic: reusability follows after you demonstrate you can get into space first. Considering it for the follow-on Beta vehicle; side boosters will separate at a fairly low altitude, and looking at means to do parachute recovery of them. #ISDC2018
Quote from: TrevorMonty on 05/25/2018 07:31 pmAnother tweet from jeffMarkusic: reusability follows after you demonstrate you can get into space first. Considering it for the follow-on Beta vehicle; side boosters will separate at a fairly low altitude, and looking at means to do parachute recovery of them. #ISDC2018So this is yet another small LOX/RP1 ELV in the Electron class?It's always great to give more rocket engineers hands on experience of engine and LV design and the actual trades involved.
Alpha is 1000kg to LEO vs Electron 225kg so lot bigger. Both fully ELV. The Beta with reusable boosters is 4t, not sure if 4t is with expendable or reuseable boosters, given it is made up of 3xAlpha boosters I'd say 4t is expendable.No word on Alpha pricing but Relativity 1250kg Terran1 is listed at $10m or $8000/kg. I'd guess $8-9m for Alpha and $20m for expendable Beta. When these 1000kg class LVs start flying LaunchOne will need to drop is 500kg $10m? price along with all other smaller LVs eg Electron, Vector. The smaller LVs don't have to match bigger LVs on $/kg to orbit but have to be significantly cheaper per launch to justify buying dedicated launch. Alpha and Terran1 are big enough to take a lot business from VEGA and PSLV while Beta will compete directly with them.
Mon, 04 Jun 2018CEDAR PARK, Texas, June 1, 2018Firefly Aerospace, Inc. (Firefly), a developer of orbital launch vehicles for the small to medium satellite market, announced today the execution of a Launch Services Agreement (LSA) with Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) for use of the Firefly Alpha launch vehicle.“Firefly is pleased to enter into an LSA with SSTL to provide up to six Alpha launches from 2020 through 2022,” said Firefly CEO Dr. Tom Markusic. “The Alpha launch vehicle allows for deployment of SSTL satellites as a primary payload to their preferred orbit, rather than flying as a secondary payload on a larger launch vehicle.”Sarah Parker, SSTL Managing Director, said, “SSTL is delighted to be the first Firefly Aerospace customer to sign an LSA. Our new partnership with Firefly assures SSTL customers convenient, dependable access to space, with certainty of launch opportunities. Starting with CARBONITE-4 in early 2020, we look forward to launching many successful missions together.”Dr. Max Polyakov, Firefly Co-founder, added that, “The Firefly Alpha program is on schedule for our first launch in the third quarter of 2019. Our mass production processes will enable eight Alpha flights in 2020 and eighteen flights in 2021. This launch cadence will allow Firefly to support missions from SSTL and the many other customers that have expressed interest in the Alpha launch vehicle. Firefly is excited to join with SSTL in opening space to a new generation of entrepreneurs.”
That is a big leap of faith for SSTL, the price must be amazing.Just noticed that Firefly's VCLS contract was "terminated for cause" (contract #NNK15LB19C).Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Stage 2 testing, posted today. Loving the penny-pinching rocket startup vibes...
Quote from: vaporcobra on 06/19/2018 12:07 amStage 2 testing, posted today. Loving the penny-pinching rocket startup vibes...What are they testing here exactly, the telehandler forklift?
Quote from: ThePhugoid on 06/19/2018 01:53 amQuote from: vaporcobra on 06/19/2018 12:07 amStage 2 testing, posted today. Loving the penny-pinching rocket startup vibes...What are they testing here exactly, the telehandler forklift?They're carrying it to the test stand.
Quote from: vaporcobra on 06/19/2018 02:14 amQuote from: ThePhugoid on 06/19/2018 01:53 amQuote from: vaporcobra on 06/19/2018 12:07 amStage 2 testing, posted today. Loving the penny-pinching rocket startup vibes...What are they testing here exactly, the telehandler forklift?They're carrying it to the test stand.Ah so burst or cryo testing, or something of that sort?
The company’s Texas facilities have about 140 employees now, close to the size of the original Firefly when it ran into financial problems two years ago, and the company is actively hiring.
It is my understanding they do not use recruiters.
SSTL awards Launch Services Agreement to FireflyQuoteMon, 04 Jun 2018CEDAR PARK, Texas, June 1, 2018Firefly Aerospace, Inc. (Firefly), a developer of orbital launch vehicles for the small to medium satellite market, announced today the execution of a Launch Services Agreement (LSA) with Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) for use of the Firefly Alpha launch vehicle.“Firefly is pleased to enter into an LSA with SSTL to provide up to six Alpha launches from 2020 through 2022,” said Firefly CEO Dr. Tom Markusic. “The Alpha launch vehicle allows for deployment of SSTL satellites as a primary payload to their preferred orbit, rather than flying as a secondary payload on a larger launch vehicle.”Sarah Parker, SSTL Managing Director, said, “SSTL is delighted to be the first Firefly Aerospace customer to sign an LSA. Our new partnership with Firefly assures SSTL customers convenient, dependable access to space, with certainty of launch opportunities. Starting with CARBONITE-4 in early 2020, we look forward to launching many successful missions together.”Dr. Max Polyakov, Firefly Co-founder, added that, “The Firefly Alpha program is on schedule for our first launch in the third quarter of 2019. Our mass production processes will enable eight Alpha flights in 2020 and eighteen flights in 2021. This launch cadence will allow Firefly to support missions from SSTL and the many other customers that have expressed interest in the Alpha launch vehicle. Firefly is excited to join with SSTL in opening space to a new generation of entrepreneurs.”Space News article
That is a big leap of faith for SSTL, the price must be amazing.
Quote from: gongora on 06/05/2018 02:25 pmSSTL awards Launch Services Agreement to FireflyQuoteMon, 04 Jun 2018CEDAR PARK, Texas, June 1, 2018Firefly Aerospace, Inc. (Firefly), a developer of orbital launch vehicles for the small to medium satellite market, announced today the execution of a Launch Services Agreement (LSA) with Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) for use of the Firefly Alpha launch vehicle.“Firefly is pleased to enter into an LSA with SSTL to provide up to six Alpha launches from 2020 through 2022,” said Firefly CEO Dr. Tom Markusic. “The Alpha launch vehicle allows for deployment of SSTL satellites as a primary payload to their preferred orbit, rather than flying as a secondary payload on a larger launch vehicle.”Sarah Parker, SSTL Managing Director, said, “SSTL is delighted to be the first Firefly Aerospace customer to sign an LSA. Our new partnership with Firefly assures SSTL customers convenient, dependable access to space, with certainty of launch opportunities. Starting with CARBONITE-4 in early 2020, we look forward to launching many successful missions together.”Dr. Max Polyakov, Firefly Co-founder, added that, “The Firefly Alpha program is on schedule for our first launch in the third quarter of 2019. Our mass production processes will enable eight Alpha flights in 2020 and eighteen flights in 2021. This launch cadence will allow Firefly to support missions from SSTL and the many other customers that have expressed interest in the Alpha launch vehicle. Firefly is excited to join with SSTL in opening space to a new generation of entrepreneurs.”Space News articleQuote from: ringsider on 06/06/2018 03:23 pmThat is a big leap of faith for SSTL, the price must be amazing.No, there's no leap of faith at all here. SSTL didn't commit to anything.SSTL isn't an end customer. They are a satellite manufacturer. Almost certainly, this contract between SSTL and Firefly just sets the terms for SSTL to be able to offer build-and-lauch packages to their customers.Notice the press release says "up to six Alpha launches". 6 is the max. No minimum number is given. If the minimum were anything other than zero, they would have mentioned a minimum.This is a bit of minor good news for firefly, because it means SSTL is more likely to try to sell their own customers on a firefly launch. But it's not at all the same as an actual launch contract from an actual end customer who's going to own a satellite and pay to put it in orbit.
SSTL does also fly satellites for itself in addition to its customers. The most recent example of SSTL flying payloads for itself is the recent PSLV-CA launch.
https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1054843589681909760