Firefly Aerospace Inc., a U.S. rocket and space technology company owned by Ukrainian businessman Max Polyakov, has successfully performed pre-flight tests of its first Alpha rocket.
The four Reaver engines performed 35 seconds of thrust vector control maneuvers, challenging the flame deflectors to constrain all that Reaver power, the company’s press service said.
Firefly Aerospace Inc. said that this test was a major step in Firefly’s march to its first flight.
The launch of the rocket will be not only a big milestone for the company, but for the entire Noosphere, Polyakov said. He said that the company is building a large space vertical, which includes many companies, and it will soon be ready to provide the full range of services in the space industry – from launching payloads and manufacturing satellites, to control systems and data analysis.
In his opinion, the launch of this rocket will be an important event for Ukraine.
It will show, first of all, to the young generation that Ukraine is capable of producing an intellectual product, that space is not a dream, but a reality, he said. Polyakov said that he has invested a lot of efforts and funds in the development of science in Ukraine, and the company has already launched seven engineering schools and is planning to develop this sphere. He expressed the hope that the launch of Alpha rocket will motivate students.
