Washington D.C. – The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is excited to announce the addition of three new associate members: Calspan Corporation, Firefly Space Systems, and TIP Technologies.
“The commercial spaceflight industry is developing and innovating at an ever-increasing pace,” said CSF president Eric Stallmer. “With the recent expansion of membership we have brought on board three different companies focusing on areas ranging from systems testing, small satellite launches, to quality assurance software. This diversity is a testament to the vast reach and influence of the rapidly growing commercial space sector.”
For more than 70 years, Calspan has been supporting initiatives that drive domestic and global innovation. They are a world-class independent engineering services and testing company that provides its customers with knowledgeable staff, unrivaled processes, unsurpassed quality, proven facilities and reliable equipment. Its high ethical standards and values-driven culture are two reasons why Calspan is consistently requested to support industry-leading innovators across the globe. The company provided aerodynamic analysis of space access vehicles with its transonic wind tunnel for several NASA vehicles including the Space Shuttle. Calspan’s space vehicle expertise includes Stage Separation & Proximity Assessment Testing, Jet Effects Assessment, and Performance, Stability, and Control.
Firefly Space Systems is a rapidly growing Newspace company that is helping to change the face of the global launch market. Founded in 2014, Firefly’s team of over 140 engineers will help to revolutionize the launch market by providing a dedicated and low cost launch option for small satellite payloads, a package which does not exist on the market today despite the rapid growth of the small satellite segment. To date Firefly has won its first launch contract from NASA, has begun to build and test hardware, and is on track for its first orbital flight in Q1 of 2018. Firefly is headquartered in Cedar Park, Texas, a 30-45 minute drive from downtown Austin, Texas.
TIP Technologies was a pioneer and continues to be the recognized leader in quality assurance software. Since 1989 the company has been developing and marketing TIPQA™, an integrated suite of enterprise quality assurance applications. TIP Technologies focuses on serving the needs of companies in regulated discrete manufacturing industries. TIPQA™ is a flexible, yet complete solution for manufacturers who view quality as a competitive advantage. Use of the TIPQA™ solution has resulted in proven, documented success by countless companies that demand delivery of highly regulated, quality products. The TIPQA™ solution allows customers to quickly adapt to changing markets and quality requirements with ease. TIP Technologies utilizes a proven implementation methodology to help ensure timely success at a fair price. The company is committed to the development and support of feature-rich and easy-to-use quality assurance software and the effective delivery of implementation and support services.