HAWTHORNE, Calif., August 20, 2014 (Firefly PR) –– FIREFLY SPACE SYSTEMS, ANSYS, Inc. and the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin, home to the Stampede supercomputer, team up in the design of next-generation of rockets.

Firefly Space Systems is building the world’s lowest-cost, small satellite delivery system. Announced today, Firefly’s initiative with ANSYS and TACC will enable Firefly to accurately and rapidly progress through its engineering development process as it moves closer to its first launch.

ANSYS, a global leader and innovator of engineering simulation software, will be an integral tool for Firefly. “ANSYS’ software is crucial in assisting Firefly solve our most complex design challenges through fast, accurate and reliable engineering simulation,” said Jared Cuneo, Firefly Director of Structures Analysis.

Meanwhile, TACC’s Stampede supercomputer, one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, will provide the backbone on which Firefly runs its ANSYS software analysis. “TACC and UT Austin are both proving to be integral and hugely valuable partners, not only through Stampede, but also via their top-notch engineering talent who are now part of the Firefly team,” added Firefly’s Human Resource Manager Christina Kang.

By combining ANSYS with Stampede, a complex simulation of a rocket subsystem that would normally require a considerable amount of time on a typical workstation will now be accurately achieved in just mere seconds. This combination of resources will ultimately lead to a significant reduction of costs and time on the overall development of Firefly launch vehicles.

“The bottom line here is what used to cost hundreds of millions of dollars is rapidly becoming available in the single digit millions,” said Firefly CEO Thomas Markusic. “We are offering small satellite customers the launch they need, for a fraction of what it has cost historically, at around $8 or 9 million – the lowest cost in the world. It’s far cheaper than the alternatives, without the headaches of a multi manifest launch. This new partnership is an important milestone for us as we move forward to our first launch.”

About Firefly Space Systems:

Firefly is a satellite launch company based in Hawthorne, CA. The team consists of highly experienced aerospace engineers who have spent the better part of the past decade working at New Space companies, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic.

Firefly was created for one simple reason: provide low-cost, high-performance space launch capability for the under-served small satellite market, where secondary-payload launches are often the only option. The technologies employed in our state-of-the-art rockets provide a clear pathway for future incremental improvements in vehicle capability. Later vehicles will also have reusable elements and employ air-breathing propulsion.

Learn more at: http://www.fireflyspace.com

About the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC)

The Texas Advanced Computing Center at The University of Texas at Austin is one of the leading advanced computing centers in the United States. The center’s mission is to enable discoveries that advance science and society through the application of advanced computing technologies. To fulfill this mission, TACC identifies, evaluates, deploys and supports powerful computing, visualization and storage systems and software. TACC helps researchers and educators use these technologies effectively, and conduct research and development to make these technologies more powerful, more reliable and easier to use. TACC also encourages, educates and trains the next generation of researchers, empowering them to make discoveries that change the world.

Learn more: http://www.tacc.utexas.edu