{"id":10173,"date":"2024-02-28T23:00:53","date_gmt":"2024-02-28T15:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/firefly-aerospace-doubles-texas-footprint-to-support-testing-of-antares-330-mlv-rocket\/"},"modified":"2024-02-28T23:00:53","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T15:00:53","slug":"firefly-aerospace-doubles-texas-footprint-to-support-testing-of-antares-330-mlv-rocket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/firefly-aerospace-doubles-texas-footprint-to-support-testing-of-antares-330-mlv-rocket\/","title":{"rendered":"Firefly Aerospace doubles Texas footprint to support testing of Antares 330, MLV rocket"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Firefly\u2019s new MLV manufacturing and integration building in Bertram, Texas. Image: Firefly Aerospace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the months following its fourth flight of it Alpha rocket, Firefly Aerospace continues to push forward with work on two new rockets in partnership with Northrop Grumman. On Wednesday, Firefly is set to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking a manufacturing expansion to support the work flows on the Antares 330 rocket and its sequel, the Medium Launch Vehicle (MLV).<\/p>\n

The expansion, which boosted its manufacturing space from 92,000 to 207,000 square feet, also includes a new engine test stand, with can withstand up to 230,000 pounds of thrust. This addition supports the test campaign for Firefly\u2019s Miranda and Vira engines.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter Firefly signed the MLV agreement with Northrop Grumman, we went immediately to work on our Briggs expansion, which has been completed in less than a year\u2019s time,\u201d said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace in a statement. \u201cAlong with the expansion, we\u2019re taking advantage of automated machinery to further advance our rapid production schedule while improving efficiencies and lowering costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Firefly\u2019s new multi-bay engine test stand for MLV\u2019s first stage Miranda engines and second stage Vira engine. Image: Firefly Aerospace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Firefly and Northrop Grumman are aiming to launch the first flight of the Antares 330 rocket in 2025. Seven Miranda engines will power the first stage of this rocket, while Northrop Grumman\u2019s Castor 30XL solid rocket motor will power the second stage, as it did for the Antares 230. Northrop Grumman is also providing both vehicle integration and launch pad operations up at NASA\u2019s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.<\/p>\n

Later that year, the companies are expected to debut the MLV. It will use the first stage developed for the Antares 330, but will feature a liquid-fueled upper stage and a single Vira engine. The Vira engine was previously referred to as a Miranda vacuum engine as recently as Nov. 2023.<\/p>\n

Both the Antares 330 first stage and the MLV upper stage are being manufactured using carbon composite materials, similar to Firefly\u2019s Alpha rocket as well as Rocket Lab\u2019s Electron and Vaya Space\u2019s forthcoming Dauntless rocket.<\/p>\n

Firefly said it used a new automated fiber placement (AFP) machine from Ingersoll Machine Tools Inc. to build the first barrel that is being used for MLV development testing.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirefly\u2019s new AFP machinery, which is already widely used and proven in the aircraft industry, is a significantly more efficient and cost-effective approach to rocket production and can be utilized for composite parts across our vehicle lines,\u201d said Dan Fermon, COO of Firefly Aerospace, in a statement. \u201cThese high-speed robotic machines can lay up more than 200 pounds of carbon fiber per hour, allowing us to produce all the large carbon composite structures for Alpha in just seven days and MLV in just 30 days. This is about nine times faster and seven times cheaper than our former process using high-touch laser placement systems.\u201d<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s working on this next rocket, Firefly is working towards getting back to flight with its Alpha rocket. Earlier this month, the company submitted its Mishap Investigation Report to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding the issues it encountered during the fourth flight of its Alpha rocket.<\/p>\n

Firefly said in a statement on Feb. 20 that it \u201cis now implementing corrective actions to ensure the [Guidance, Navigation and Control] software issue is resolved, including process changes to detect and prevent similar issues in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n