Latest news with #CedarPark-based
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas House approves tax break for space companies like Musk's SpaceX, Bezos' Blue Origin
Space companies in Texas, including Elon Musk's SpaceX, could save millions of dollars in taxes under a financial incentive bill the state House narrowly passed Thursday afternoon. House Bill 3045 would exempt all corporations that operate a spaceport used by the U.S. Department of Defense from franchise taxes, which businesses typically pay to the state. At least three companies with Texas spaceports would qualify: SpaceX, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origins and Firefly Aerospace. The Pentagon awarded SpaceX and Blue Origin a combined $13.8 billion to launch defensive satellites for the U.S. Space Force in April, and Cedar Park-based Firefly won a contract to perform a responsive on-orbit mission. State Rep. Stan Gerdes, whose district includes Bastrop County, filed the bill to keep those companies in Texas and attract others to the state, he told the American-Statesman. The space industry 'is a big player,' Gerdes, R-Smithville, told the Statesman. 'This is a small tool with a little bit of an incentive to say, 'Hey, we want you to stay here and keep doing what you're doing instead of going to Florida or California.'' The space industry invests billions in Texas, including $1 billion in Gerdes' district, which includes a SpaceX manufacturing facility, Musk's Boring Company and facilities for X, the social media platform Musk owns. "We want to be No. 1 in space race," Gerdes said. The measure would cost Texas $2.9 million in expected revenue over the next two years and $4.6 million by 2030, according to the Texas Comptroller. The companies still pay property taxes. After the bill passed by a 15-vote margin in a preliminary vote Wednesday, several representatives switched their vote, an unusual move. After a vote verification Thursday, it passed 70-69. A number of hardline Republicans voted against the bill and several Democratic members approved it. Austin state Rep. John Bucy III was among the bill's Democratic supporters. He said HB 3045 will directly benefit his district and Williamson County, where Firefly Aerospace is headquartered. 'Being a leader in space industry is vital, and we've got real competition. So I think these measures matter,' said Bucy, who is vice chair of the House Innovation & Technology Caucus. 'Other states are looking at whatever package they can to lure space industry away.' His colleague in the Austin delegation, Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, however, had a different perspective. 'If Elon Musk wants to establish a business here, then he should pay taxes like the rest of us,' he said. Talarico said the tax break isn't necessary to keep space companies in the Lone Star state. 'They're already here and I think there's a lot of reasons to start a business or bring a business to Texas,' he said. 'We can have economic development without special tax giveaways to the wealthiest people.' Several other Democratic members opposed the bill on the grounds that it would benefit Musk and Bezos, both billionaires. But Bucy said that shouldn't be the deciding factor. 'I kept hearing Dems say this helps Elon. Well, not exclusively. It helps Firefly, which I believe in a lot,' Bucy said. 'Yes, it also helps Elon … but I don't know that the personality is the reason we should set policy.' United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, could also look to take advantage of the measure. The company won $5.3 billion for 19 Space Force missions in April, according to Reuters. Franchise taxes go directly into the property tax relief fund, which is used to offset what Texans pay to fund public schools. According to the fiscal note, an equal amount of tax revenue would need to be allocated in the budget to replace the expected losses. Republican Sen. Adam Hinojosa, whose district includes the SpaceX launching site in Brownsville, filed the companion bill in the Senate. The measure was heard in the Senate Finance Committee in March but has not received a vote. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Bill passed by Texas House would slash taxes for Elon Musk's SpaceX
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cedar Park-based Firefly Aerospace awarded Department of Defense contract
Cedar Park-based Firefly Aerospace announced Monday that it has been awarded a contract with the U.S. Defense Department to perform a responsive on-orbit mission using its spacecraft. The mission is part of the Defense Innovation Unit, or DIU, Sinequone Project, a Defense Department initiative aimed at prototyping the use of commercial launch and orbital transfer systems to provide cost-effective, responsive access beyond geosynchronous orbits. These orbits, commonly referred to as xGEO, extend beyond Earth-centered orbits that have an orbital period matching Earth's rotation. For the mission, Firefly's Elytra spacecraft will serve as a space maneuver vehicle, performing a series of tasks and hosting a suite of government payloads. The mission is set to launch as early as 2027. 'Firefly has proven our ability to rapidly and reliably launch, land and operate in space as we continue to execute bold missions from (low Earth orbit) to lunar orbit and beyond,' said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. 'This national security mission will further demonstrate our ability to perform responsive on-orbit tasks when and where our customers need them with our highly maneuverable Elytra orbital vehicle." Firefly's multimission orbital vehicle Elytra's main engine, known as Spectre, was recently proven when Firefly became the first commercial company to complete a fully successful moon landing in early March. More: Austin-based Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost successfully lands on moon Firefly successfully landed its Blue Ghost Mission 1 lunar lander on the moon's surface on March 2, and it then operated 10 NASA-backed scientific and technological instruments over the period of one lunar day, equivalent to about 14 days on Earth. According to Kim, Elytra will be equipped with the same systems used in the Blue Ghost landing — including the reaction control system thrusters that successfully performed Blue Ghost's final descent to the moon — for the Sinequone mission. Along with its successful moon landing last month, Firefly was recently awarded an $8.2 million grant from the Texas Space Commission for spacecraft clean room space, test facilities and infrastructure support. According to Firefly, the Texas Space Commission gift is aiding Firefly's ability to mass produce Elytra in higher quantities at a lower cost. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Firefly Aerospace to launch mission with Department of Defense in 2027
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Sneak peek: Firefly Aerospace reveals first video from lunar landing
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The first POV video of a lunar landing in decades has been revealed. On Sunday, Cedar Park-based Firefly Aerospace landed on the moon, making it the first commercial lander to successfully make the trip without incident. Blue Ghost One touched down on the lunar surface around 2:30 a.m. CST on March 2. The video, released March 3, shows the last minutes of Blue Ghost's journey as it settles on the surface. The video ends with the lunar lander looking back toward Earth. Blue Ghost One is the first of three lunar landings planned for the company. The next will launch in 2026. That lander will touch down on the far side of the moon. Blue Ghost One carries several experiments as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. These include a drill collecting lunar samples and a machine for preventing dust build-up called an electrodynamic dust shield. These experiments will help pave the way for future space travel by NASA. Additionally, the spacecraft will capture the first images of lunar sunset. The lunar sunset has only been seen once before — during the Apollo era. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lands on moon after 45-day trip
The Brief Blue Ghost, a lunar lander built in Central Texas, is now on the moon. Sunday's landing was the first successful commercial moon landing. Firefly Aerospace got a multi-million-dollar contract from NASA to take experiments to the moon. CEDAR PARK, Texas - A lunar lander made right here in Central Texas is now on the moon. Blue Ghost, built by Cedar Park-based Firefly Aerospace, landed on the moon early Sunday morning while many gathered to watch history in the making down here on Earth. What we know The lander touched down on the surface of the moon at 2:35 a.m. March 2, marking the first successful commercial lunar landing. A watch party packed full of people was held at a venue not far from Firefly's headquarters in Cedar Park. Video screens provided live feeds from the control room and of the Blue Ghost lunar lander as it descended to the surface of the moon. RELATED: Blue Ghost lunar lander touches down on moon for NASA delivery Launched in mid-January from Florida, the trip took 45 days, with the lander initially swinging around the Earth several times, allowing research teams to collect new data. The backstory Blue Ghost — named after a rare U.S. species of firefly — is a four-legged lander that stands 6 feet, 6 inches tall and 11 feet wide. This mission, called Ghost Riders in the Sky, started back in 2021 when NASA awarded Firefly Aerospace a multi-million-dollar contract to carry ten experiments up to the moon. NASA paid $101 million for the delivery, plus $44 million for the science and tech on board. Cedar Park's Firefly Aerospace successfully gets lunar lander into space NASA holds Blue Ghost Lunar Lander briefing before launch Firefly Aerospace's lunar lander is one step closer to reaching the moon Blue Ghost is the third mission under NASA's commercial lunar delivery program, intended to ignite a lunar economy of competing private businesses while scouting around before astronauts show up later this decade. What's next The information gathered from the trip and the experiments on the lunar surface will help NASA prepare for a manned mission to the moon. Blue Ghost is expected to operate through a full lunar day, which is about 14 Earth days. When the landing site transitions into a lunar night, the plan is to record two final moments: a solar eclipse by the Earth and a lunar horizon dust glow, which was first documented by the crew of Apollo 17 in 1972, the last manned mission to the moon. Firefly Aerospace is also currently building another lander, Blue Ghost 2, which is scheduled to blast off next year. The Source Information in this report comes from reporting by FOX 7 Austin's Rudy Koski and by FOX Television Stations.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cedar Park-based aerospace company awarded $21M contract
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Firefly Aerospace, a Cedar Park-based aerospace company, announced it was awarded a $21.81 million mission contract. Firefly said the contract would help it launch the VICTUS SOL Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) mission, which allows the U.S. to quickly respond to on-orbit needs. 'The VICTUS SOL launch will provide the operational capability to have a launch vehicle and space vehicle on standby while we continue to launch other commercial and government missions until we're called up by the Space Force,' said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. RELATED | Lunar mission from Austin-area aerospace company launches VICTUS SOL is the third U.S. Space Force mission Firefly will support, and the company said it builds on the lessons learned from the VICTUS NOX and VICTUS HAZE missions. In September 2023, Firefly successfully launched the VICTUS NOX mission following a 24-hour notice. The company said was the first and only company to achieve the milestone. RELATED | Firefly Aerospace sees boost following new investment 'As the only operational one metric ton rocket, Alpha's high mass-to-orbit performance further allows Firefly to meet customer demand for rapid, affordable launch solutions when and where customers need their spacecraft deployed,' the company said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
