Author Topic: Firefly Space : Company and Development General Thread (Read 559398 times)

JEF_300 · « **Reply #680 on:** 04/22/2021 07:21 pm »

Here's a fun twitter exchange.

https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/1385288339389960193?s=20

Quote from: Eric Berger

Per an official at Vandenberg Air Force Base, the launch of Firefly's Alpha rocket has been postponed "indefinitely." No reason given.

https://twitter.com/Firefly_Space/status/1385311969360584712?s=20

Quote from: Firefly Aerospace

Eric, Firefly’s launch is not 'postponed indefinitely'. Firefly received our FAA launch license on Monday, is in final integrated vehicle to pad testing, and is preparing to perform the our pre-launch static fire soon.”

JEF_300 · « **Reply #681 on:** 04/22/2021 08:09 pm »

Cross posting this from the launch specific thread.

Quote from: JEF_300 on 04/22/2021 08:07 pm

Another tweet, this ones from John Kraus, and seems to show an email from Vandenburg's media manager.
https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1385314861371035651?s=20

Looks like either Firefly management didn't bother to update their media people on the change, or the Air Force updates the media on developments before it's partners.

The original email actually makes this sound like a simple rescheduling, whereas when Eric Berger took the phrasing "postponed indefinitely" out of that context in his original tweet, it sounds much worse. I'm sure that was unintentional for the record.

Overall, seems like a mess all around.

CameronD · « **Reply #682 on:** 04/22/2021 11:12 pm »

Quote from: JEF_300 on 04/22/2021 08:07 pm

Looks like either Firefly management didn't bother to update their media people on the change, or the Air Force updates the media on developments before it's partners.

The original email actually makes this sound like a simple rescheduling, whereas when Eric Berger took the phrasing "postponed indefinitely" out of that context in his original tweet, it sounds much worse. I'm sure that was unintentional for the record.

Overall, seems like a mess all around.

Well, as the saying goes.. Space may be hard, but the paperwork is harder!

trimeta · « **Reply #683 on:** 04/22/2021 11:21 pm »

Quote from: CameronD on 04/22/2021 11:12 pm

Well, as the saying goes.. Space may be hard, but the paperwork is harder!

This reminds me of a recent panel discussion I saw on YouTube with Peter Beck (CEO of Rocket Lab) and Chris Kemp (CEO of Astra). When asked how quickly they could launch a rocket, Chris talked about Astra's mobile launch infrastructure and how they could go from an empty concrete pad to a launch in five days, possibly less in the future. Peter mentioned how at Wallops they have a vehicle ready for 24-hour launch at all times, but more importantly their record is five weeks, entirely due to paperwork. And even that five-week interval took pulling a few favors and leveraging their experience.

yg1968 · « **Reply #684 on:** 05/20/2021 03:17 pm »

Quote from: Jeff Foust

Firefly Aerospace announces it’s selected SpaceX to launch its Blue Ghost lunar lander in 2023. Firefly won a NASA CLPS award for that mission earlier this year; the lander is too large to launch on its own Alpha rocket.

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1395381899611316225

yg1968 · « **Reply #685 on:** 05/21/2021 02:31 am »

Quote from: Space News

Firefly Aerospace announced Thursday it selected SpaceX to launch its first lunar lander mission for NASA, the latest in a series of contract wins by SpaceX for lunar missions.

https://bit.ly/3hHLTPi

https://twitter.com/SpaceNews_Inc/status/1395561997803134978

matthewkantar · « **Reply #686 on:** 05/21/2021 05:22 am »

What's up with the name? Looks like it could be Gold Ghost?

Tomness · « **Reply #687 on:** 05/21/2021 05:36 am »

Quote from: matthewkantar on 05/21/2021 05:22 am

What's up with the name? Looks like it could be Gold Ghost?

In the press release Blue Ghost is type of Firefly.

trimeta · « **Reply #688 on:** 05/21/2021 05:38 am »

Quote from: matthewkantar on 05/21/2021 05:22 am

What's up with the name? Looks like it could be Gold Ghost?

I believe it's named after this rare species of firefly.

Thunderscreech · « **Reply #689 on:** 05/21/2021 02:36 pm »

https://twitter.com/FccSpace/status/1395748739797569537?s=20

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #690 on:** 05/24/2021 10:13 am »

Firefly COO Robb Kulin posted:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rkulin_makespaceforeveryone-firefly-firstflight-activity-6802074941907902464-I4qg

Quote

Next, we light it...

#makespaceforeveryone
#firefly
#firstflight

Attached GIF is brief video showing venting and slight strongback motion

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #691 on:** 05/24/2021 02:26 pm »

https://twitter.com/firefly_space/status/1396834122652438531

Quote

Busy weekend at Firefly's Vandenberg Space Force Base SLC-2 launch site! #Firefly #MakingSpaceForEveryone

SciNews · « **Reply #692 on:** 05/25/2021 01:04 pm »

The New York Times - Going to the Moon via the Cloud
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/25/technology/cloud-computing-simulations-startups.html

Quote

Firefly says it typically spends thousands to tens of thousands of dollars an hour on its computations — still far less than the cost of building and maintaining a high-performance computer.

Quote

Firefly, for example, was founded in 2014 and now has about 350 employees. Yet they are building everything from the rocket’s engines and carbon-fiber body to a lunar lander that will go from a conceptual design today to a planned mission to the moon in 2023.

AirmanPika · « **Reply #693 on:** 06/05/2021 09:34 am »

Question is...I'm about to be away for 6 weeks. Am I gonna miss the launch?

Nate_Trost · « **Reply #694 on:** 06/11/2021 04:32 pm »

Isn't Firefly's AFTS relying on the same core system as Electron-Wallops?

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1403016355981430785

JEF_300 · « **Reply #695 on:** 06/11/2021 06:58 pm »

Quote from: Nate_Trost on 06/11/2021 04:32 pm

Isn't Firefly's AFTS relying on the same core system as Electron-Wallops?

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1403016355981430785

I don't think so. Firefly announced it's AFTS shortly after Rocket Lab announced they intended to share theirs, and a lot of people jumped to conclusions, but no one from either company (to my knowledge) has ever said that the systems are related.

Hug · « **Reply #696 on:** 07/09/2021 08:46 am »

I'm not sure whether Firefly's FTS system is related to Electrons; however it is currently driving the launch date; they're waiting on a supplier to get them a part for their FTS before they can get qualified and start launch campaign. Also they have attempted to do a static fire, but given a lack of images of a lit candle, I suspect it might have been aborted a bit early.

Also here's my summary of some of the interesting tidbits from the FISO presentation http://fiso.spiritastro.net/telecon/Salwan_7-7-21/

https://twitter.com/jenekuns/status/1412977462946910211
https://twitter.com/jenekuns/status/1412979177465147397

trimeta · « **Reply #697 on:** 07/09/2021 03:24 pm »

Huh, that first slide says Beta will first launch Q2 2024 from CCSFS, but the second slide lists its first launch as Q4 2023. And these were both from the same presentation?

Hug · « **Reply #698 on:** 07/09/2021 04:39 pm »

Yes they are and that did confuse me to no end. The only thing I can guess is that when they created table a while ago and stuff pushed it out.

GreenShrike · « **Reply #699 on:** 07/09/2021 04:40 pm »

Quote from: trimeta on 07/09/2021 03:24 pm

Huh, that first slide says Beta will first launch Q2 2024 from CCSFS, but the second slide lists its first launch as Q4 2023. And these were both from the same presentation?

The enhanced Alpha is also planned for either H2 or Q3 2021 -- gotta love consistency. ;-)

Also, don't know if this is new as I may have simply missed it previously (it's not on https://firefly.com/launch-beta/ anyway), but the pic also shows Beta sporting New Glenn style fins. I wonder if, like NG, they're hoping to avoid a Falcon 9-style re-entry burn?

Presentation attached for NSF archives.