Maxim Polyakov in 2017 bought a company that did not give much hope. Others in the orbital launch industry saw it as a flop. But in a year and a half, Firefly Aerospace returned to service with renewed vigor, bringing development over the launch vehicle to completion. The company has confirmed that it is fully prepared to test the launch vehicle.
This rocket, called the Firefly Alpha, will allow more cost-effective and efficient delivery of satellites into low-orbit medium and small sizes. Thanks to the relationship between efficiency and effectiveness, which will allow up to 24 launches per year. To attract new customers, the company has created detailed instructions for future customers on the payload.
The goal was to provide the client with the ability to send small payloads like CubeSats, a daylight saving time tool for missions. Late launches of secondary payloads negatively impacted subsequent launches of the higher profile. In turn, the company intends to simplify untimely launches by providing a launch vehicle for small missions. The head of the company in an interview on the site CN confirmed that the first launch will take place in 2019 after half of the year. After testing the model, it is planned to organize up to 2 launches per month by about 2021.
In addition to private launches, Firefly Alpha is counting on launches of remote sensing satellites. Despite future cooperation with the US Air Force, close interaction is not yet planned, legal and technical aspects of the issue are being discussed.
