Vulcan Centaur
Vulcan Centaur in VC2S configuration ahead of its maiden flight
FunctionLaunch vehicle, partial reuse planned
ManufacturerUnited Launch Alliance
Country of originUnited States
Cost per launchApprox. US$100–200 million[1][2]
Size
Height61.6 m (202 ft)[3]
Diameter5.4 m (18 ft)[4]
Mass546,700 kg (1,205,300 lb)
Stages2 with 0, 2, 4 or 6 boosters
Capacity
Payload to low Earth orbit (28.7°)
Mass27,200 kg (60,000 lb)[5]
Payload to geostationary transfer orbit (27.0°)
Mass15,300 kg (33,700 lb),[5]
Payload to geostationary orbit
Mass7,000 kg (15,000 lb)[5]
Payload to trans-lunar injection
Mass12,100 kg (26,700 lb)[5]
Launch history
StatusOperational
Launch sites
Total launches1
Success(es)1[a][7]
First flight8 January 2024[8]
Boosters
No. boosters0, 2, 4, or 6[9]
Powered byGEM-63XL[10]
Maximum thrust2,201.7 kN (495,000 lbf)
PropellantHTPB, Al / AP
First stage
Diameter5.4 m (18 ft)
Powered by2 × BE-4
Maximum thrust4,900 kN (1,100,000 lbf)
PropellantCH4 / LOX
Second stage – Centaur V
Diameter5.4 m (18 ft)
Powered by2 × RL10[11]
Maximum thrust212 kN (48,000 lbf)[12]
Specific impulse453.8 s (4.450 km/s)[12]
PropellantLH2 / LOX
[edit on Wikidata]

Vulcan Centaur is a two-stage-to-orbit, expendable, heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by United Launch Alliance (ULA). It is principally designed to meet launch demands for the U.S. government's National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program for use by the United States Space Force and U.S. intelligence agencies for national security satellite launches. It will replace both of ULA's existing heavy-lift launch systems (Atlas V and Delta IV Heavy) due to their retirement. Vulcan Centaur will also be used for commercial launches, including an order for 38 launches from Kuiper Systems.

Development of the Vulcan rocket started in 2014, largely in response to growing competition from SpaceX and a requirement to phase out the Russian RD-180 used on the Atlas V. Initially scheduled for an inaugural flight in 2020, the program was delayed by over three years due to problems with the development of the BE-4 engine and the new Centaur upper stage.[13] Vulcan Centaur launched for the first time on 8 January 2024, successfully carrying Astrobotic Technology's Peregrine lunar lander, the first mission on NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.[14]

Description

Vulcan is ULA's first new launch vehicle design since ULA was formed in 2006 by the merger of the launch vehicle businesses of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. It adapts and evolves technologies that were developed for the Atlas V and Delta IV rockets of the USAF's EELV program. The first-stage propellant tanks contain liquid methane and liquid oxygen propellants rather than the Delta IV's liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.[15]

Vulcan's upper stage is the Centaur V, an upgraded variant of the Centaur III.[16][17] The Centaur III variant was used on the Atlas V through 2023. Previous plans called for the Centaur V to be eventually upgraded with Integrated Vehicle Fluids technology to become the Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage (ACES), but this was subsequently cancelled.[18] At one time, ULA planned to pursue human-rating certification for Vulcan to allow the launch of crewed craft, such as the Boeing CST-100 Starliner or a future version of the Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser spaceplane.[3][18][19][needs update]

The Vulcan booster has a 5.4 m (18 ft) outer diameter to support two Blue Origin BE-4 engines' and liquid methane fuel.[20] In September 2018, after a competition with the Aerojet Rocketdyne AR1, the BE-4 was selected to power Vulcan's first stage.[21]

Up to six GEM-63XL solid rocket boosters (SRB)s can be attached to the first stage in pairs, providing additional thrust during the first part of the flight and allowing the six-SRB Vulcan Centaur to launch a higher mass payload than the most capable Atlas V 551.[9][22][23][24]

Versions and configurations

The Vulcan Centaur has a four-character designation for each configuration, in which the first character represents the first stage of the vehicle; Vulcan is designated with the letter "V". The second character shows the upper stage; Centaur is designated "C". The third character represents the number of SRBs attached to the Vulcan; "0", "2", "4" or "6". The final character represents the payload-fairing length configuration, which is indicated by "S" (Standard; 15.5 m (51 ft)) or "L" (Long; 21.3 m (70 ft)).[25] For example, "VC6L" would represent a Vulcan first stage, a Centaur upper stage, six SRBs and a long-configuration fairing.[25] The most powerful Vulcan Centaur will have a Vulcan first stage, a Centaur upper stage with RL10CX engines with a nozzle extension and six SRBs.[26]

Capabilities

The payload capacity of Vulcan Centaur are as follows:[5]

Launch system status
Version SRBs Payload mass to...
LEO ISS Polar MEO GEO GTO TLI
Vulcan Centaur VC0 0 10,800 kg (23,800 lb) 9,200 kg (20,300 lb) 8,500 kg (18,700 lb) — — 3,500 kg (7,700 lb) 2,300 kg (5,100 lb)
Vulcan Centaur VC2 2 19,000 kg (42,000 lb) 16,300 kg (35,900 lb) 15,200 kg (33,500 lb) 3,900 kg (8,600 lb) 2,600 kg (5,700 lb) 8,400 kg (18,500 lb) 6,300 kg (13,900 lb)
Vulcan Centaur VC4 4 24,600 kg (54,200 lb) 21,600 kg (47,600 lb) 20,000 kg (44,000 lb) 6,200 kg (13,700 lb) 4,900 kg (10,800 lb) 11,700 kg (25,800 lb) 9,200 kg (20,300 lb)
Vulcan Centaur VC6 6 27,200 kg (60,000 lb) 25,800 kg (56,900 lb) 23,900 kg (52,700 lb) 8,100 kg (17,900 lb) 6,500 kg (14,300 lb) 14,500 kg (32,000 lb) 11,500 kg (25,400 lb)
Vulcan Upgrade 6 27,200 kg (60,000 lb) 26,900 kg (59,300 lb) 24,900 kg (54,900 lb) 8,600 kg (19,000 lb) 7,000 kg (15,000 lb) 15,300 kg (33,700 lb) 12,100 kg (26,700 lb)

Payload to low Earth orbit (LEO) is for a 200 km (120 mi) circular orbit at a 28.7° inclination; payload to the International Space Station is for a 407 km (253 mi) circular orbit at 51.6° inclination; payload to polar LEO is for a 200 km (120 mi) circular orbit at 90° inclination. These capabilities are driven by the need to meet NSSL requirements, with room for future growth.[5][27]

A single-core Vulcan Centaur with six solid rocket boosters can put 27,200 kilograms into low Earth orbit, nearly as much as the three-core Delta IV Heavy.[28]

History

Background

ULA had considered a number of launch vehicle concepts in the decade since the company was formed in 2006. Various concepts for derivative vehicles based on the Atlas[29] and Delta[30] lines of launch vehicles they inherited from their predecessor companies were proposed, though ultimately none were built.[citation needed]

In early 2014, geopolitical and US political considerations led to an effort by ULA to consider the possible replacement of the Russian-supplied RD-180 engine used on the first stage booster of the Atlas V. Events such as the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in February 2014 brought into focus that relying on foreign hardware to launch critical national security spacecraft could be undesirable. Formal study contracts were issued by ULA in June 2014 to a number of US rocket engine suppliers.[31] ULA was also facing competition from SpaceX—then seen to affect its core national security market of US military launches—and by July 2014, the US Congress was debating whether to legislatively ban future use of the RD-180 engine.[32][33]

In September 2014, ULA announced that it had entered into a partnership with Blue Origin to develop the BE-4 liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid methane (CH4) engine to replace the RD-180 on a new first stage booster. The engine was already in its third year of development by Blue Origin, and ULA said it expected the new stage and engine to start flying as soon as 2019.[34] Two of the 2,400-kilonewton (550,000 lbf)-thrust BE-4 engines were to be used on a new launch vehicle booster.[31][35][34] A month later, ULA restructured company processes and workforce with the goal of reducing costs. The company stated that the successor to Atlas V would blend existing Atlas V and Delta IV with a goal of halving the cost of the Atlas V rocket.[36]

Announcement

In 2015, ULA announced the Vulcan rocket, proposing to incrementally replace existing vehicles with it.[15] Vulcan deployment was expected to begin with a new first stage that was based on the Delta IV's fuselage diameter and production process, and initially expected to use two BE-4 engines or the AR1 as an alternative. The second stage was to be the existing Centaur III, already used on Atlas V. A later upgrade, the Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage (ACES), was planned to be introduced a few years after Vulcan's first flight.[15] ULA also revealed a design concept for reuse of the Vulcan booster engines, thrust structure and first stage avionics, which could be detached as a module from the propellant tanks after booster engine cutoff; the module would re-enter the atmosphere behind an inflatable heat shield.[37]

Funding

Through the first several years, the ULA board of directors made quarterly funding commitments to Vulcan Centaur development.[38] As of October 2018, the U.S. government had committed approximately US$1.2 billion in a public–private partnership to Vulcan Centaur development, future funding pending a National Security Space Launch contract with ULA.[39]

By March 2016, the United States Air Force (USAF) had committed up to US$202 million of funding for Vulcan development. ULA had not yet estimated the total cost of development but CEO Tory Bruno noted "new rockets typically cost US$2 billion, including US$1 billion for the main engine".[38]In March 2018, Tory Bruno said the Vulcan-Centaur had been "75% privately funded" up to that point.[quantify][40] In October 2018, following a request for proposals and technical evaluation, ULA was awarded US$967 million to develop a prototype Vulcan launch system as part of the National Security Space Launch program.[39]

Development, production, and testing

In September 2015, it was announced BE-4 rocket engine production would be expanded to increase production capacity for testing.[41] The following January, ULA was designing two versions of the Vulcan first stage; the BE-4 version has a 5.4 m (18 ft) diameter to support the use of less-dense methane fuel.[20] In late 2017, the upper stage was changed to the larger and heavier Centaur V, and the launch vehicle was renamed Vulcan Centaur.[40] In May 2018, ULA announced the selection of Aerojet Rocketdyne's RL10 engine for the Vulcan Centaur upper stage.[42] That September, ULA announced the selection of the Blue Origin BE-4 engine for Vulcan's first stage.[43][44] In October, the USAF released an NSSL launch service agreement with new requirements, delaying Vulcan's initial launch to April 2021, after an earlier postponement to 2020.[45][46][47]

In August 2019, the parts of Vulcan's mobile launcher platform (MLP) were transported[48] to the Spaceflight Processing Operations Center (SPOC) near SLC-40 and SLC-41, Cape Canaveral, Florida. The MLP was fabricated in eight sections and moves at 3 mph (4.8 km/h) on rail bogies, standing 183 ft (56 m) tall.[49] In February 2021, ULA shipped the first completed Vulcan core booster to Florida for pathfinder tests ahead of the Vulcan's debut launch.[50] Testing continued proceeded with the pathfinder booster throughout that year.[51][52]

In 2019, Vulcan Centaur's first flight was announced as the launch of Astrobotic Technology's Peregrine lunar lander.[53] ULA declared a target launch date in early 2021.[54][35] By December 2020, the launch had been delayed to 2022 due to schedule impacts of belated BE-4 main engine delivery owing to technical issues.[55][56] In June 2021, Astrobotic reported that Peregrine would not be ready in time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delaying the mission and Vulcan Centaur's first launch; further Peregrine delays put the launch of Vulcan into 2023.[57][58][59] In March 2023, a Centaur V test stage failed during a test sequence. To address the issue, ULA made a design change to the structure of the stage, which required a new Centaur to be prepared for Vulcan Centaur's maiden flight.[60]

Certification flights

Launch of the Peregrine lunar lander on Vulcan Centaur's first flight

On 19 August 2019, it was announced Astrobotic Technology selected ULA to launch their Peregrine lander on the first Vulcan certification flight, named Certification-1, then scheduled for 2021.[61][62] Vulcan lifted off for the first time on 8 January 2024, successfully delivering the Peregrine lander on a trajectory to the Moon. It used the VC2S configuration, with two solid rocket boosters and a standard-length fairing. After payload separation following a 4-minute long trans-lunar injection burn, the Centaur upper stage was sent to a heliocentric orbit after it fired for a third time 1 hour and 18 minutes into the flight to test how it would behave in extended duration missions, such as those required to send payloads directly to geostationary orbit.[14][63] While the Peregrine lander had a failure in its propulsion system shortly after separation that prevented it from landing on the Moon, Astrobotic noted that the Vulcan Centaur rocket performed without issues and there was no evidence that the failure in the spacecraft was caused by the launch.[64]

On 14 August 2019, ULA won a commercial competition when it was announced the second Vulcan certification flight would be SNC Demo-1, the first of seven Dream Chaser CRS-2 flights under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services program. They will use the four-SRB VC4 configuration.[65] The SNC Demo-1 is scheduled for launch no earlier than April 2024.[66]

After Vulcan Centaur's second certification mission, the rocket will be qualified for use on United States military missions.[67] Vulcan is to launch ULA's awarded 60% share of National Security Space Launch payloads from 2022 to 2027.[68] The Space Force's USSF-51 launch in late 2022 had been intended to be the first national security classified mission, but in May 2021 the spacecraft was reassigned to an Atlas V to "mitigate schedule risk associated with Vulcan Centaur non-recurring design validation".[69] For similar reasons, the Kuiper Systems prototype flight was moved to an Atlas V rocket.[70]

Potential upgrades

Since the formal announcement in 2015, ULA has spoken of several technologies that would extend the Vulcan launch vehicle's capabilities. These include enhancements to the first stage to make the most expensive components potentially reusable and enhancements to the second stage to increase its long-term mission duration to operate for months in Earth orbit cislunar space.[71]

Long-endurance upper stages

Main article: Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage

The ACES upper stage—fueled with liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2) and powered by up to four rocket engines with the engine type yet to be selected—was a conceptual upgrade to Vulcan's upper stage at the time of the announcement in 2015. This stage could subsequently be upgraded to include the Integrated Vehicle Fluids technology that would allow the upper stage a much longer in-orbit life of weeks rather than hours. The ACES upper stage was eventually cancelled[15][72] when in September 2020, ULA made public that the ACES development would not be continued and the Vulcan second stage would now be the Centaur V upper stage.[18][71] The Centaur V is based on the upper stage used by the Atlas V but larger and more powerful. A senior executive at ULA said the Centaur V design was also heavily influenced by ACES.[73][28]

However, ULA said in 2021 that it is working to add more value to upper stages by having them perform tasks such as operating as space tugs. CEO Tory Bruno says ULA is working on upper stages with hundreds of times the endurance of those currently in use.[73]

SMART reuse

A method of main engine reuse called Sensible Modular Autonomous Return Technology (SMART) is a proposed upgrade for Vulcan Centaur. In the concept, the booster engines, avionics, and thrust structure detach as a module from the propellant tanks after booster engine cutoff. The engine module then falls through the atmosphere protected by an inflatable heat shield. After parachute deployment, the engine section splashes down, using the heatshield as a raft.[74] ULA estimated this technology could reduce the cost of the first stage propulsion by 90%, and 65% of the total first-stage cost.[37][74] Although SMART reuse was not initially funded for development,[71] from 2021 the higher launch cadence required to launch the Project Kuiper megaconstellation provided support for the concept's business case.[75] Prior to 2022, ULA intended to catch the engine section using a helicopter.[74]

Vulcan Centaur launches

This section is transcluded from List of Vulcan launches (2020–29). (edit | history)

2024

Flight No. Date / time (UTC) Rocket,
configuration 		Launch site Payload Payload mass Orbit Customer Launch
outcome
1 8 January 2024,
07:18 		Vulcan Centaur VC2S CCSFS, SLC-41 Peregrine lander / Enterprise (space burial) 1283 kg TLI (Peregrine) / Heliocentric (Enterprise) Astrobotic Technology / Celestis Success[76]
Maiden flight of Vulcan Centaur. Also known as Certification-1. Also included a payload from Celestis, demonstrating engine restart capability of the Centaur upper stage delivering multiple payloads to different orbits. The Peregrine payload failed in transit to the Moon, precluding a landing attempt, due to reasons unrelated to the launch vehicle.[77]

See also

References

  1. ^ Clark, Stephen. "ULA needs commercial customers to close Vulcan rocket business case". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  2. ^ Shalal, Andrea; Klotz, Irene. "'Vulcan' rocket launch in 2019 may end U.S. dependence on Russia". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Vulcan Centaur Cutaway Poster" (PDF). United Launch Alliance. November 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  4. ^ Peller, Mark. "United Launch Alliance" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Vulcan". United Launch Alliance. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  6. ^ Clark, Stephen (12 October 2015). "ULA selects launch pads for new Vulcan rocket". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 14 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  7. ^ Dinner, Josh (8 January 2024). "ULA's Vulcan rocket launches private US moon lander, 1st since Apollo, and human remains in debut flight". Space.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  8. ^ Robinson-Smith, Will (21 December 2023). "ULA stacks Vulcan rocket for the first time ahead of Jan. 8 debut launch". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  9. ^ a b @ToryBruno (1 July 2019). "Vulcan is configurable with 0 to 6 SRBs. 2 fairing lengths, the longer, 70 ft fairing having a massive 11,000 cuft (317 cu-m) payload volume" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  10. ^ Rhian, Jason (23 September 2015). "ULA selects Orbital ATK's GEM 63/63XL SRBs for Atlas V and Vulcan Boosters". Spaceflight Insider. Archived from the original on 11 January 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  11. ^ "United Launch Alliance Selects Aerojet Rocketdyne's RL10 Engine". ULA. 11 May 2018. Archived from the original on 12 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  12. ^ a b "Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 Propulsion System" (PDF). Aerojet Rocketdyne. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  13. ^ Eric Berger (5 January 2024). "As Vulcan nears debut, it's not clear whether ULA will live long and prosper". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  14. ^ a b Jeff Foust (8 January 2024). "Vulcan Centaur launches Peregrine lunar lander on inaugural mission". Spacenews. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d Gruss, Mike (13 April 2015). "ULA's Vulcan Rocket To be Rolled out in Stages". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  16. ^ Jeff Foust (11 September 2020). "ULA studying long-term upgrades to Vulcan". Space News. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  17. ^ "Centaur: America's Workhorse in Space". NASA. 12 December 2012. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  18. ^ a b c Foust, Jeff (11 September 2020). "ULA studying long-term upgrades to Vulcan". Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2021. "ACES work has its fingerprints in our new version of Centaur, the Centaur 5 we're fielding with Vulcan. Those studies five, eight years ago certainly served us well, and it put us on a good path forward here for the evolution of our upper stages. We will continue to evolve our upper stage to meet the needs of the market going forward".
  19. ^ @torybruno (30 August 2016). "ULA_ACES We intend to human rate Vulcan/ACES" (Tweet). Retrieved 30 August 2016 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ a b de Selding, Peter B. (16 March 2016). "ULA intends to lower its costs, and raise its cool, to compete with SpaceX". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016. Methane rocket has a lower density so we have a 5.4 meter design outside diameter, while drop back to the Atlas V size for the kerosene AR1 version.
  21. ^ "United Launch Alliance Building Rocket of the Future with Industry-Leading Strategic Partnerships". 28 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  22. ^ Jason Rhian (23 September 2015). "ULA selects Orbital ATK's GEM 63/63 XL SRBs for Atlas V and Vulcan boosters". Spaceflight Insider. Archived from the original on 11 January 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  23. ^ @ToryBruno (1 July 2019). "No. Vulcan SRBs come in pairs" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  24. ^ "United Launch Alliance Unveils America's New Rocket – Vulcan: Innovative Next Generation Launch System will Provide Country's Most Reliable, Affordable and Accessible Launch Service". United Launch Alliance. 13 April 2015. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  25. ^ a b "Vulcan Centaur". ulalaunch.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  26. ^ "Vulcan Centaur Cutaway Poster" (PDF). ULA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  27. ^ Space and Missile Systems (5 October 2018). "EELV LSA RFP OTA". Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019. table 10 of page 27
  28. ^ a b Foust, Jeff (11 September 2020). "ULA studying long-term upgrades to Vulcan". Space News. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  29. ^ "Atlas V Launch Services User's Guide" (PDF). Centennial, Colorado: United Launch Alliance. March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2013.
  30. ^ "Delta Launch 310 – Delta IV Heavy Demo Media Kit – Delta Growth Options" (PDF). Boeing. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2012.
  31. ^ a b Ferster, Warren (17 September 2014). "ULA To Invest in Blue Origin Engine as RD-180 Replacement". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 18 September 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  32. ^ Gruss, Mike (24 April 2015). "Evolution of a Plan : ULA Execs Spell Out Logic Behind Vulcan Design Choices". Space News. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  33. ^ Clark, Stephen (22 April 2015). "ULA needs commercial business to close Vulcan rocket business case". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 26 October 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  34. ^ a b Fleischauer, Eric (7 February 2015). "ULA's CEO talks challenges, engine plant plans for Decatur". Decatur Daily. Archived from the original on 12 June 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  35. ^ a b Neal, Mihir (8 June 2020). "Vulcan on track as ULA eyes early – 2021 test flight to the Moon". Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  36. ^ Avery, Greg (16 October 2014). "ULA plans new rocket, restructuring to cut launch costs in half". Denver Business Journal. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  37. ^ a b Ray, Justin (14 April 2015). "ULA chief explains reusability and innovation of new rocket". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  38. ^ a b Gruss, Mike (10 March 2016). "ULA's parent companies still support Vulcan ... with caution". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  39. ^ a b Erwin, Sandra (10 October 2018). "Air Force awards launch vehicle development contracts to Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, ULA". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  40. ^ a b Erwin, Sandra (25 March 2018). "Air Force stakes future on privately funded launch vehicles. Will the gamble pay off?". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 21 August 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  41. ^ "Boeing, Lockheed Differ on Whether to Sell Rocket Joint Venture". THE Wall Street Journal. 10 September 2015. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  42. ^ Tribou, Richard (11 May 2018). "ULA chooses Aerojet Rocketdyne over Blue Origin for Vulcan's upper stage engine". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on 13 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  43. ^ "United Launch Alliance Building Rocket of the Future with Industry-Leading Strategic Partnerships – ULA Selects Blue Origin Advanced Booster Engine for Vulcan Centaur Rocket System" (Press release). United Launch Alliance. 27 September 2018. Archived from the original on 6 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  44. ^ Johnson, Eric M.; Roulette, Joey (27 September 2018). "Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to supply engines for Vulcan rocket". Reuters. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  45. ^ Foust, Jeff (25 October 2018). "ULA now planning first launch of Vulcan in 2021". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  46. ^ @jeff_foust (18 January 2018). "Tom Tshudy, ULA: with Vulcan we plan to maintain reliability and on-time performance of our existing rockets, but at a very affordable price. First launch mid-2020" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  47. ^ Foust, Jeff (25 October 2018). "ULA now planning first launch of Vulcan in 2021". Space News. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  48. ^ @ToryBruno (6 August 2019). "Mighty Atlas is not the only thing rolling at the Cape today. Check the new Vulcan MLP arrival" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  49. ^ @ULAlaunch (6 August 2019). "The MLP will transport #VulcanCentaur Vertical Integration Facility to SLC-41 using heritage undercarriage dollies used for Titan III, Titan IV and #AtlasV and will move at 3 mph. #VulcanCentaur" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  50. ^ "Three rockets depart factory aboard RocketShip". United Launch Alliance. 4 February 2021. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  51. ^ "Vulcan: Pathfinder fueling tests planned". blog.ulalaunch.com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  52. ^ "Vulcan: First demonstration of launch day completed". blog.ulalaunch.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  53. ^ "Astrobotic lunar lander to launch on ULA's first Vulcan rocket – Spaceflight Now". Archived from the original on 21 August 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  54. ^ Wall, Mike. "SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Will Launch Private Moon Lander in 2021" Archived 4 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine SPACE.com 2 October 2019 Quote: "But Peregrine will fly on a different rocket, United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur, which is still in development. The 2021 Peregrine mission will be the first for both the lander and its launch vehicle"
  55. ^ Bezos' Blue Origin to deliver first flight-ready rocket engines next summer Archived 22 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Reuters, 17 December 2020, accessed 20 December 2020.
  56. ^ Weapon Systems Annual Assessment (PDF) (Report). US Government Accountability Office (GAO). 8 June 2021. p. 106. GAO-21-222. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021. ...a U.S. produced rocket engine under development for ULA's Vulcan launch vehicle is experiencing technical challenges related to the igniter and booster capabilities required and may not be qualified in time to support first launches beginning in 2021.
  57. ^ Irene Klotz [@Free_Space] (18 June 2021). "Debut launch of @ulalaunch Vulcan slipping to 2022 as customer @astrobotic needs more time to prep Peregrine lunar lander. "Covid presented a lot of problems for the entire space supply chain," CEO John Thornton tells @aviationweek "We're just doing the best we can."" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  58. ^ Kanayama, Lee (9 May 2022). "As Centaur turns 60 years old, ULA prepares to evolve Centaur V". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  59. ^ Roulette, Joey (10 October 2022). "United Launch Alliance's debut Vulcan mission slips to 2023 -CEO". Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  60. ^ Foust, Jeff (24 June 2023). "First Vulcan launch further delayed for Centaur modifications". Spacenews. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  61. ^ Chow, Denise (4 February 2023). "Bigger, faster, farther: A batch of new rockets is set to blast into space this year". NBC News. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  62. ^ "Astrobotic Selects United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur Rocket to Launch its First Mission to the Moon". ULA Launch. 19 August 2019. Archived from the original on 19 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  63. ^ McCrea, Aaron (8 January 2024). "Vulcan successfully launches Peregrine lunar lander on inaugural flight". NASASpaceFlight. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  64. ^ "Update #8 for Peregrine Mission One". Astrobotic. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  65. ^ "SNC Selects ULA for Dream Chaser® Spacecraft Launches: NASA Missions to Begin in 2021". ULA Launch. 14 August 2019. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  66. ^ "ULA Sets Dec. 24 As Target Date For Vulcan's Debut | Aviation Week Network". aviationweek.com. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  67. ^ Jeff Foust (5 January 2024). "Vulcan on the pad for its first launch". Spacenews. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  68. ^ "Contracts for August 7, 2020". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  69. ^ Erwin, Sandra (20 May 2021). "With ULA's new rocket Vulcan behind schedule, Space Force agrees to let Atlas 5 fill in". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  70. ^ Clark, Stephen (7 August 2023). "Amazon shifts launch of its first Internet satellites to Atlas V rocket". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  71. ^ a b c Henry, Caleb (20 November 2019). "ULA gets vague on Vulcan upgrade timeline". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  72. ^ "America, meet Vulcan, your next United Launch Alliance rocket". Denver Post. 13 April 2015. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  73. ^ a b Erwin, Sandra (7 April 2021). "Bruno: The next big thing for ULA is a long-endurance upper stage". Space News. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  74. ^ a b c Klotz, Irene (20 July 2022). "ULA Refines Plan To Reuse Vulcan Rocket Engines". Aviation Week. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  75. ^ "The Space Review: A megaconstellation megadeal". www.thespacereview.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  76. ^ McCrea, Aaron (8 January 2024). "Vulcan successfully launches Peregrine lunar lander on inaugural flight". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  77. ^ "The first US Moon landing in more than 50 years has hit a major hurdle after a 'critical' fuel leak". ABC News. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  1. ^ Although Peregrine Mission One, the maiden flight of the Vulcan Centaur, suffered a criticial failure, the Vulcan Centaur it was launched on was successful

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vulcan (rocket).
United Launch Alliance
Orbital launch systems
Orbital launch systems developed in the United States
Reusable launch systems and spacecraft
Category