Max Polyakov

Last updated

Max Polyakov
Макс Поляков
Personal details
Born
Maksym Valeriyovych Polyakov
Максим Валерійович Поляков

(1977-06-30) 30 June 1977 (age 47)
Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
Children4
ResidenceScotland
Education Oles Honchar Dnipro National University
OccupationBusinessman and philanthropist
Managing Partner of Noosphere Ventures
Former co-owner of Firefly Aerospace

Maksym "Max" Polyakov (born 30 June 1977) is an international technology entrepreneur, [1] investor, economist, and philanthropist. Polyakov is a general partner in the venture fund Noosphere Ventures Partners LP which invests in a number of technology companies over the global scale. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Polyakov has a business philosophy with deep scientific roots.[ citation needed ] He follows the idea of Ukrainian scientist Volodymyr Vernadsky who claimed that knowledge is the driving force behind every further positive development on Earth. [5] [6] Polyakov believes that space-based technologies can and should be used to solve problems on Earth. [7]

Education

Maksym "Max" Polyakov was born in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. In high school, Polyakov won competitions in math and physics, then scholarships. In 2001, Polyakov graduated from Zaporizhzhia State Medical University as an obstetrician-gynecologist. [1] [8]

In 2013, Polyakov was awarded a Ph.D. in International Economics and in 2019, earned a Doctor of Economic Sciences. [9]

He is a co-author of philosophical and scientific works on noospherology, semiotics, and innovation in economics. [10]

Max Polyakov owns 18 patents. [11]

Business

While studying at the university, Polyakov launched his first software outsourcing business. [1] Following the success of his first venture, he set up a number of successful tech businesses.

Polyakov co-founded the IDE Group which included the companies Cupid, Murka, HitDynamics and Maxymiser in 2005. [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] Polyakov took Cupid public on the London Stock Exchange in 2010 and became the first Ukrainian entrepreneur to have a tech company listed on the London Stock Exchange. [17] [18] [19] In 2015, Polyakov's startup Maxymiser was bought by the American corporation Oracle. [15] [20] Blackstone bought out Murka project group in 2019. [21] [22] [23] [24] [25]

Currently, Max focuses on the space industry in an attempt to build a vertically integrated holding company type through Noosphere Ventures asset management firm. The goal is to unite a whole cycle of space mission development to enable fast and affordable access to space. [6]

Noosphere Ventures

In 2014, Polyakov founded Noosphere Ventures, an international asset management firm dedicated to the development of space technology. [26] The same year, Polyakov created Noosphere Engineering School (NES). [27] Noosphere Ventures hosted the 2016 FAI World Championships for Space Models in Ukraine. [28] Noosphere Ventures portfolio includes D-Orbit, [29] a global provider of space logistic services, and electric rocket propulsion developer Space Electric Thruster Systems (SETS). [30] In 2018, the SETS team was awarded the Seal of Excellence Certificate by the European Commission as part of the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme. [31] Flight Control, liquid rocket engines manufacturer, also belongs to Noosphere Ventures portfolio. [32]

EOS Data Analytics

In 2015, Polyakov's Noosphere Ventures created "EOS Data Analytics" (EOSDA), [33] a global provider of AI-powered satellite imagery analytics and developer of remote sensing solutions. [34] Four years later, EOSDA implemented a project on satellite-based monitoring of agricultural land use in cooperation with the World Bank and the EU. [35] [36]

EOS Data Analytics participates in the GoldenEye project within the EU’s Horizon 2020 initiative aimed [37] [38] to improve safety, environmental impact, and mine profitability by creating a platform that combines Earth observation technologies with on-site sensing. [39] The project targets five mining sites across Europe in (Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Kosovo and Romania). In October 2021, Dragonfly Aerospace has announced an agreement with EOS Data Analytics (EOSDA) to use its new 100 kg class µDragonfly satellite bus. The agreement will see EOSDA use the satellite bus as the platform for the two DragonEye electro-optical imagers. [40]

On 3 January 2023, EOS SAT-1, the initial satellite of the company's EOS SAT constellation, the first agri-focused satellite swarm launched by a remote sensing company, was delivered into a low Earth orbit by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in Florida. [41] The satellite was built by the space imaging systems technology provider Dragonfly Aerospace and equipped with two high-resolution DragonEye cameras.

Firefly Aerospace

Polyakov's Noosphere Ventures acquired assets of Firefly Space Systems and later launched a new company keeping the original Firefly brand in 2017. [15] [1] [42] By May 2018, a Firefly research and development center was opened in Polyakov's hometown of Dnipro, Ukraine. [43] In November of the same year, Firefly Aerospace entered the list of companies selected by NASA for its lunar exploration program with a total budget of $2.6 billion. [44] [45] [46]

In 2019, the U.S. Air Force selected Firefly to participate in the Orbital Services Program-4 (OSP-4) along with Rocketdyne. [47] [48] [49] In 2021, NASA awarded Firefly a $93.3 million to deliver a suite of 10 science investigations and technology demonstrations to the Moon in 2023. [50] [51] [52] Firefly The team successfully performed pre-flight of their alpha rocket in September 2020. [53] [54] On 4 May 2021, CBInsights listed Firefly Aerospace as a 'unicorn' startup having achieved $1 billion valuation. [55] Firefly expected to make a second Alpha launch attempt in early 2022, but the flight is delayed. [56] In August 2021, Firefly Aerospace has hired Lauren Lyons, a former SpaceX and Blue Origin engineer, as its new chief operating officer. [57] Astra, the small launch company that recently went public, has signed a roughly $30 million deal for the rights to manufacture Firefly Aerospace's Reaver rocket engines in-house. [58] In October 2021, Firefly Aerospace announced that it has completed NASA's Critical Design Review (CDR) of its Blue Ghost lunar lander. [59] [60] [61]

On 3 September 2021, a two-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle Firefly Alpha exploded (because of deliberate mission termination) a few minutes after launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. [62] [63] On 1 October 2022, Firefly Alpha successfully reached orbit for the first time. [64] Firefly Aerospace had raised $75 million to prepare for this launch. [65]

On 24 February 2022, it was announced that Polyakov and his company Noosphere will sell their stake in Firefly to AE Industrial Partners. [66]

Dragonfly Aerospace

In April 2021, Max Polyakov bought majority stake in Dragonfly Aerospace, a South African satellite engineering company. [67] [30] Dragonfly team has more than 20 years of experience in imaging satellites and payloads, mainly through the high-resolution cameras that it builds. Dragonfly develops satellite cameras for Earth Observing Systems Data Analytics. [30] The products of Dragonfly include CubeSat cameras (Gecko, Mantis, Chameleon and Caiman) with resolution up to 5 meters and cameras for microsatellites (HR-250 and Raptor). The company currently focuses on providing cameras to Europe and other markets outside the United States. Customers include satellite makers NanoAvionics and Loft Orbital, as well as Indian hyper spectral imaging startup Pixxel. [68] [69] [70] The company said in October that it will build two satellite cameras for EOSDA's first satellite, a crop-monitoring spacecraft slated to launch in 2022. [30]

Philanthropy

In 2016, Polyakov created the non-profit organization Noosphere Association, which organizes STEM events such as BestRoboFest robotics festival and the Noosphere Vernadsky Challenge engineering startup competition. [71] [72] Noosphere Ventures hosted the 2016 FAI World Championships for Space Models in Ukraine. [73] On 7 June 2021, Noosphere Ventures co-sponsored the 11th Annual Space Foundation Student Art Contest. [74] Since 2017, Noosphere Association has sponsored and supported the NASA Space Apps Challenge in Dnipro. [75] [76]

In March 2022, Polyakov along with EOS Data Analytics appealed to the global remote sensing firms and organizations to provide real-time SAR data to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine with actionable intelligence. [77] As the Russian invasion of Ukraine unfolded, he donated over ₴100 million to the "Army of drones" [78] project and a significant donation to Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation. In August 2022 when a Ukrainian charity organization decided to purchase an SAR satellite for the crowdfunded money to cater for the needs of the military, they turned to Max Polyakov for his expertise in the space industry. The purchased satellite has already strongly helped in the battlefield, according to Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. [79] [80]

Controversies

A two-year study by the fact-checking web site "Snopes" led to an investigation by the BBC and Kyiv Post to show that before working in the space industry, Max Polyakov made his fortune from deceptive dating sites. [81] [82] [83] [84] [85] Noosphere Ventures released a statement refuting Snopes investigation claiming that Max Polyakov had left the company in 2012 and connecting publication of the material with a lawsuit filed by former Firefly Systems investors. [86] In December 2021, the U.S. government requested Max Polyakov to sell his stake in the rocket company Firefly Aerospace Inc. due to national security concerns, despite all the precautionary measures taken by the management earlier and no prior questions to ownership. [87] On 24 February 2022, it was announced that Polyakov and his company Noosphere will sell their stake in Firefly to AE Industrial Partners. [66]

Aftermath

After a lengthy conflict with US regulators, Ukrainian businessman Max Polyakov has been released from all conditions imposed on him and his companies prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. After stepping back from day-to-day operations, Polyakov was forced to sell his shares just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, resulting in significant financial losses. Although Firefly has since succeeded, with its Alpha rocket achieving full success in September 2023 and the company securing new business ventures, Polyakov won’t likely return to Firefly. He remains active in the space industry. [88] [89]

Polyakov is quoted as saying, "I hope you now are happy. History will judge all of you guys." [90]

Personal life

Polyakov moved to Silicon Valley where he co-founded the venture capital fund Noosphere Venture Partners in 2012. [91] In 2021, Polyakov moved to Edinburgh, Scotland. [92] In one of the interviews, Polyakov was described as "A lightning-fast talker with a rugby player’s build and a salesman’s disposition." [93]

Family

Max Polyakov is married with four children. [93]

Polyakov's father Valeriy wrote operating system software for Soviet space rockets. His mother developed hardware systems meant to make the rockets reusable. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerospike engine</span> Type of rocket engine that maintains its aerodynamic efficiency across a wide range of altitudes

The aerospike engine is a type of rocket engine that maintains its aerodynamic efficiency across a wide range of altitudes. It belongs to the class of altitude compensating nozzle engines. Aerospike engines were proposed for many single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) designs. They were a contender for the Space Shuttle main engine. However, as of 2023 no such engine was in commercial production, although some large-scale aerospikes were in testing phases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Private spaceflight</span> Spaceflight not paid for by a government agency

Private spaceflight refers to spaceflight activities undertaken by non-governmental entities, such as corporations, individuals, or non-profit organizations. This contrasts with public spaceflight, which is traditionally conducted by government agencies like NASA, ESA, or JAXA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astra (American spaceflight company)</span> American aerospace company

Astra Space, Inc., formerly known as Ventions, LLC from 2005 - 2016, is an American space company based in Alameda, California, with facilities in Sunnyvale, California and Atwater, California. The company was initially an aerospace technology research firm that focused on SBIR contracts, developing small rocket engines for use on launch vehicles and satellite propulsion. In 2012, the company shifted to developing launch vehicles and was selected for the DARPA ALASA program, eventually leading to the development and launch of the Astra Rocket series of launch vehicle utilizing both government and private funding after reincorporating itself to Astra Space, Inc. in 2016. The company would have their first successful launch in 2021, nine years after the start of development, after 6 previous failed attempts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firefly Aerospace</span> American private aerospace company

Firefly Aerospace is an American private aerospace firm based in Cedar Park, Texas, that develops launch vehicles for commercial launches to orbit. The company completed its $75 million Series A investment round in May 2021, which was led by DADA Holdings. The current company was formed when the assets of the former company Firefly Space Systems were acquired by EOS Launcher in March 2017, which was then renamed Firefly Aerospace. Firefly's stated purpose is to increase access to space, similar to other private spaceflight companies.

Small-lift launch vehicle Rocket able to lift 2,000 kg to low Earth orbit

A small-lift launch vehicle is a rocket orbital launch vehicle that is capable of lifting 2,000 kilograms (4,400 lb) or less or under 5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). The next larger category consists of medium-lift launch vehicles.

Vector Launch, Inc. is an American space technology company which aims to launch suborbital and orbital payloads. Vector Launch declared bankruptcy in December 2019 and re-emerged in October 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firefly Alpha</span> Two-stage operational orbital rocket, about 1,070 kg to LEO

Firefly Alpha is a two-stage orbital expendable small lift launch vehicle developed by the American company Firefly Aerospace to compete in the commercial small satellite launch market. Alpha is intended to provide launch options for both full vehicle and rideshare customers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virgin Orbit</span> Defunct American aerospace company

Virgin Orbit was a company within the Virgin Group that provided launch services for small satellites. The company was formed in 2017 as a spin-off of Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space tourism venture to develop and market the LauncherOne rocket, which had previously been a project under Virgin Galactic. LauncherOne was a two-stage launch vehicle, air-launched from a Boeing 747 carrier aircraft, designed to deliver 300 kg of payload to low Earth orbit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skyrora</span> Aerospace manufacturer in the United Kingdom

Skyrora Ltd is a British private space company based in Edinburgh, Scotland, since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isar Aerospace</span> German aerospace company

Isar Aerospace is a German aerospace company based in Munich, Germany. The company was founded in 2018. The company is named after the river that flows through Munich.

bluShift Aerospace American aerospace firm

BluShift Aerospace is an employee-owned American aerospace firm based in Brunswick, Maine. Targeting the growing smallsat and cubesat launch markets, bluShift is developing suborbital sounding rockets and small-lift orbital rockets which will be launched from a proposed new spaceport in Maine. The company has received primary funding from NASAs SBIR grant program, the National Science Foundations I-Corps grant program, the Maine Technology Institute, and the Maine Space Grant Consortium. The company has active operations at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station and Loring Air Force Base.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AgniKul Cosmos</span> Indian aerospace company

AgniKul Cosmos Private Limited is an Indian aerospace manufacturer based in National Centre for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD) of IIT Madras, Chennai. The start up aims to develop and launch its own small-lift launch vehicle such as the Agnibaan, capable of placing 100 kg (220 lb) payload into a 700 km (430 mi) orbit. The first commercial launch was expected in 2022. However, no launch happened in that year. The first suborbital mission will be conducted on 22 March 2024. This did not happen either. The company tried twice to launch its suborbital rocket in March and April but postponed due to technical issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABL Space Systems</span> American space launch technology company

ABL Space Systems is an American aerospace and launch service provider, based in El Segundo, California, that manufactures deployable launch vehicles and infrastructure for sending commercial small satellites into orbit. The company manufactures its components in the United States.

EOS SAT-1 is an optical Earth observation satellite for agricultural land monitoring by EOS Data Analytics, Inc., a global AI-powered satellite imagery analytics provider. The space optics instrument and satellite manufacturer Dragonfly Aerospace built the satellite and equipped it with two high-resolution DragonEye cameras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astra Rocket</span> Launch vehicles developed by Astra

The Astra Rocket was a small-lift space launch vehicle series designed, manufactured, and operated by American company Astra. The rockets were designed to be manufactured at minimal cost, employing very simple materials and techniques. They were also designed to be launched by a very small team, and be transported from the factory to the launch pad in standard shipping containers.

SETS is a Ukrainian aerospace company. The company specializes in manufacturing environmentally friendly electric propulsion systems and subsystems for spacecraft.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Vance, Ashlee (22 September 2020). "A Rocket Mogul Is Preparing to Launch a Union of U.S. and Soviet Technology". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  2. ↑ "EOS Data Analytics to launch a satellite with dragonfly multispectral imagers in 2022". Geospatial World. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  3. ↑ "Max Polyakov: An Entrepreneur and Philanthropist". 19 July 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  4. ↑ Cronin, Mike (20 March 2020). "From Bankrupt to Blasting Off". Austin Business Journal . Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  5. ↑ "Vernadsky Challenge - The Engineering Startup Competition organized by the Noosphere Association". vernadskychallenge.com. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  6. 1 2 Rainbow, Jason (21 April 2021). "Noosphere Ventures aims to build an integrated space powerhouse: Q&A with managing partner Max Polyakov". SpaceNews. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  7. ↑ "Where does space junk come from – and how do we clean it up?". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  8. ↑ ""Сынок, ракетчиком ты не станешь": история Максима Полякова и его космического стартапа Firefly". Экономическая правда (in Russian). Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  9. ↑ "Max Polyakov | Noosphere". noosphereglobal.com. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  10. ↑ "Академия Google". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  11. ↑ "Maxym Polyakov Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  12. ↑ Northrop, Alasdair (6 October 2011). "THE BIG PROFILE- Bill Dobbie of Cupid: Boom time for online dating boss". Business Insider. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  13. ↑ "Cupid buys Uniform Dating for £7m". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  14. ↑ Hesse, Jason (2 March 2010). "EasyDate: taking online dating to the next level". realbusiness.co.uk. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  15. 1 2 3 Berger, Eric (11 February 2019). "After a remarkable resurrection, Firefly may reach space in 2019". Ars Technica. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  16. ↑ "Easydate plans name change after Cupid.com buy, easyJet spat". 13 December 2010 – via www.reuters.com.
  17. ↑ Saunders, John (3 November 2022). "Space entrepreneurs of the world: Where does the funding stem from?". London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  18. ↑ ""Синку, ракетником ти не станеш". Історія українця Максима Полякова та його космічного стартапу Firefly". Економічна правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  19. ↑ "Украинский предприниматель спас ракетную компанию Firefly: рассказываем ее историю". AIN.UA (in Russian). 16 February 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  20. ↑ "Oracle Buys Maxymiser". www.oracle.com. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  21. ↑ "Украинец, который запускает ракету в США, продал разработчика игр большой группе". Экономическая правда (in Russian). Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  22. ↑ "Американская Blackstone купит украинского разработчика онлайн-казино". РБК. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  23. ↑ БизнесЦензор. "Американская группа покупает украинского разработчика онлайн-казино". БизнесЦензор (in Russian). Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  24. ↑ Михайлова, Лера (19 March 2019). "Американская Blackstone Group запланировала купить украинского разработчика онлайн-казино Murka — Финансы на vc.ru". vc.ru. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  25. ↑ "Макс Поляков продает разработчика онлайн-казино Murka. Сумма сделки может достигать $100 млн". MC.today, украинский онлайн-журнал о предпринимательстве (in Russian). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  26. ↑ "Noosphere Ventures | Technology Knowledge Humanity". 3 September 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  27. ↑ "Max Polyakov | Noosphere Ventures". 30 June 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  28. ↑ "The 2016 FAI World Championships for Space Models | Noosphere". noosphereglobal.com. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  29. ↑ Sheldon, John (20 December 2019). "Italy's D-Orbit Announces Investment Round Led By Seraphim Capital VC Fund". SpaceWatch.Global. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  30. 1 2 3 4 Rainbow, Jason (28 April 2021). "Max Polyakov buys Dragonfly Aerospace to fill out integrated space strategy". SpaceNews. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  31. ↑ "European Commission Certificate". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  32. ↑ "Noosphere Ventures Partners — Forbes.ua". forbes.ua (in Russian). Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  33. ↑ See eos.com
  34. ↑ "Noosphere Venture campaign begins coming together with radar constellation". SpaceNews. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  35. ↑ "В Україні почали моніторити із космосу використання сільгоспземель". www.ukrinform.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  36. ↑ "В Україні супутники тепер будуть моніторити стан сільськогосподарських земель". Mind.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  37. ↑ "Ukrainian EOS team receives €300,000 grant from European Union |". 27 August 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  38. ↑ "Ukrainian EOS team receives a grant of €300k from European Commission". AIN.UA. 18 August 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  39. ↑ "Earth observation and Earth GNSS data acquisition and processing platform for safe, sustainable and cost-efficient mining operations".
  40. ↑ Faleti, Joshua (27 October 2021). "Dragonfly Aerospace to Deliver the First Imaging Satellite for EOSDA". Space in Africa. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  41. ↑ "Replay! SpaceX launches 1st rocket of 2023 with EOS SAT-1 - Space.com and EOSDA Broadcast". Youtube. VideoFromSpace.
  42. ↑ O'Kane, Sean (12 February 2020). "Space startup's founders linked to shady dating website ring". The Verge. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  43. ↑ "Как устроен завод частной космической компании Firefly Aerospace в Днепре — фоторепортаж". AIN.UA (in Russian). 2 March 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  44. ↑ Daines, Gary (29 November 2018). "Firefly Aerospace Concept for Launch Vehicle with Moon Lander". NASA. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  45. ↑ "Компанія українця потрапила в програму NASA з бюджетом понад 2,6 мільярда доларів". Економічна правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  46. ↑ "NASA Announces New Partnerships for Commercial Lunar Payload Delivery Services". NASA Solar System Exploration. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  47. ↑ "Украинская компания Firefly будет использовать разработки Rocketdyne для своих ракет - Техно 24". 24 Канал. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  48. ↑ "Firefly partners with Aerojet Rocketdyne, mulls AR1 engine for Beta launch vehicle". SpaceNews.com. 18 October 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  49. ↑ "US Air Force Selects Firefly for Orbital Services Program-4 Contract - Via Satellite -". Via Satellite. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  50. ↑ Hautaluoma, Grey (4 February 2021). "NASA Selects Firefly Aerospace for Artemis Commercial Moon Delivery in 2023".
  51. ↑ "Firefly awarded NASA contract for CLPS Lunar Lander". SpaceFlight Insider. 6 February 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  52. ↑ "NASA awards $93.3 million to Firefly Aerospace for moon mission technology". SlashGear. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  53. ↑ "Space Notes: Spaceflight makes launch deal, RBC Signals to host Swarm, and a new fellowship is born". GeekWire. 7 October 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  54. ↑ "Official Page For Firefly's "Blue Ghost" lander". 4 June 2021.
  55. ↑ "The Complete List Of Unicorn Companies".
  56. ↑ Evers, Michael Sheetz,Andrew (20 November 2021). "Take a look inside Firefly Space, as the rocket builder prepares for a second orbital launch attempt". CNBC. Retrieved 23 March 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  57. ↑ "Firefly hires former SpaceX, Blue Origin engineer as COO". SpaceNews. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  58. ↑ Roulette, Joey (21 September 2021). "Launch startups Astra and Firefly ink secret rocket engine IP deal". The Verge. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  59. ↑ "Firefly Aerospace to build moon lander by Sept 2023". Interfax-Ukraine. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  60. ↑ "Firefly Aerospace is One Step Closer to Landing on the Moon". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  61. ↑ Berger, Eric (25 October 2021). "Firefly completes design of Moon mission, aiming for 2023 launch". Ars Technica. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  62. ↑ "Firefly Alpha explodes during first launch". SpaceNews. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  63. ↑ Roulette, Joey (3 September 2021). "Firefly's Alpha rocket detonated by Space Force during first launch". The Verge. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  64. ↑ Mike Wall (1 October 2022). "Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket reaches orbit for 1st time". Space.com. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  65. ↑ "Max Polyakov's "Firefly" failed to launch a rocket into space". Economic Truth (in Ukrainian). 3 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  66. 1 2 Foust, Jeff (24 February 2022). "AE Industrial Partners to acquire stake in Firefly from Noosphere".
  67. ↑ "Dr. Max Polyakov Purchases Majority Stake in Dragonfly Aerospace | Noosphere Ventures". 27 April 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  68. ↑ "International consortium to launch tiny hyperspectral camera". SpaceNews. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  69. ↑ "Dragonfly to deliver an imager for Loft Orbital". Geospatial World. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  70. ↑ "Dragonfly and Pixxel Sign Agreement for High Resolution Imagers for Pixxel's Satellite Constellation". PR.com. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  71. ↑ "Max Polyakov Has Held A Technofest For 25,000 Visitors - Irish Tech News". 26 June 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  72. ↑ "Максим Поляков и Дмитрий Шоломко запустили конкурс для стартапов с призовым фондом в миллион гривен". AIN.UA (in Russian). 10 March 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  73. ↑ "Кубок Янгеля определил финальный состав сборной Украины на Чемпионате мира | FRMS". frms.ua. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  74. ↑ Space Foundation Editorial Team (7 June 2021). "SPACE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE 11TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ART CONTEST". Space Foundation.
  75. ↑ "NASA Space Apps Challenge Hosted by Max Polyakov and Noosphere Ventures Help To Look at the Pale Blue Dot from a different perspective - North East Connected". 30 August 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  76. ↑ "Ukrainian team FireWay wins NASA Space Apps Challenge 2020". AIN Capital. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  77. ↑ "EOS Data Analytics issues urgent plea for imagery of Ukraine". SpaceNews. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  78. ↑ "Nearly UAH 200 Million Was Raised in the First 3 Days of the Army of Drones Fundraiser". u24.gov.ua. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  79. ↑ Cole, Brendon (26 November 2022). "Ukraine's 'People's Satellite' Helping Expose Russian Equipment: Kyiv". Newsweek. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  80. ↑ "Over 60 units of enemy equipment detected in first two days of operation of ICEYE satellite acquired by Ukrainians – Reznikov". Interfax-Ukraine. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  81. ↑ Alex Kasprak (12 February 2020). "Savage Memes and Lunar Dreams: Deceptive Dating Sites' Intimate Ties to Firefly Aerospace". Snopes. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  82. ↑ Ron Mendoza (14 February 2020). "Space Startup Firefly Aerospace Linked To Fake Dating Sites AffairDating, BuddyGays". International Business Times . Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  83. ↑ Nazarii Chornyi (3 June 2021). "'Ukrainian Elon Mask' — what we know so far about Maxym Polyakov". Bukvy (bykvu.com). Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  84. ↑ "Online dating firm Cupid plc sees share value plunge". BBC . 22 March 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  85. ↑ Svitlana Tuchynska (15 March 2013). "Deceptive Love: Agency hires women to encourage men to pay". Kyiv Post . Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  86. ↑ "Original Firefly Shareholders Sue Firefly's Markusic, Polyakov Alleging Fraud – Parabolic Arc" . Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  87. ↑ Vance, Ashlee (29 December 2021). "U.S. Seeks to Oust Ukrainian Owner of Texas Rocket Startup Firefly". Bloomberg News .
  88. ↑ "Max Polyakov says the U.S. government will let him invest in space again".
  89. ↑ Berger, Eric (10 July 2024). "Feds who forced Ukrainian investor to sell rocket company backtrack years later". Ars Technica. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  90. ↑ Berger, Eric (10 July 2024). "Feds who forced Ukrainian investor to sell rocket company backtrack years later". Ars Technica. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  91. ↑ "Як у Дніпрі розробляють деталі космічних ракет – розмова з директором Firefly Aerospace Україна". 24 Канал (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  92. ↑ Berger, Eric (5 February 2021). "Rocket Report: SpaceX sets new reuse record, Astra valued at $2.1 billion". Ars Technica. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  93. 1 2 Peleschuk, Dan (12 March 2020). "Setting Cosmic Ambitions for Ukraine". OZY. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.