Alternative rocket to SpaceX approaches launch – 07/18/2023 – Science

Building a rocket is difficult. Preparing a new rocket for its first flight is even more difficult.

That was the case with Vulcan, a new rocket developed by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

The first vehicle was due to launch in May, but a propellant tank cracked during tests in March. Hydrogen leaking from the tank ignited in a fireball that destroyed the Vulcan’s upper stage and damaged the test bed.

In a phone news conference with reporters on Thursday, United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno said the issue is now well understood, a fix is ​​being made and the first launch should take place later. in this year.

Why It Matters: Competition in the Rocket Industry

In recent years, the business of launching spacecraft and astronauts into orbit has been dominated by SpaceX, the rocket company founded and led by Elon Musk.

SpaceX’s lower prices and high launch rate have greatly benefited satellite operators, NASA and the US Space Force. But these customers, especially Space Force, don’t want to rely on just one company.

The Space Force is demanding that the United Launch Alliance launch two Vulcan missions before it can feel confident using the rocket for spy satellites and other national security payloads. The longer the company takes to complete the first two missions, the longer it will have to wait to achieve this certification.

Background: a year of transition

A decade ago, the United Launch Alliance had a monopoly on US national security launches, using its nearly flawless Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets. But she had almost no commercial customers, because rockets were so expensive.

When SpaceX filed a lawsuit, the US Armed Forces opened up the possibility of certifying SpaceX rockets for national security missions.

Some lawmakers, especially Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona, increasingly questioned how the US military could rely on the Atlas 5, given that its propulsion stage was powered by Russian-made RD-180 engines.

So far this year the United Launch Alliance has launched just one rocket, a Delta 4, while SpaceX has launched nearly 50.

In 2014 the company announced the development of the Vulcan to succeed the Atlas 5 and Delta 4. The older rockets are no longer manufactured, and work on the Vulcan is still in its early stages.

For the Vulcan, instead of using Russian engines, United turned to Blue Origin, a company founded by Jeff Bezos of Amazon.

Blue Origin’s BE-4 engines will power the Vulcan thruster and also Blue Origin’s own New Glenn rocket, still under development.

While Blue Origin’s rocket engines used in the first Vulcan rocket passed test launches, an engine slated to be used in the second mission exploded during recent tests, CNBC reported Wednesday. Tory Bruno said this is unlikely to cause any further delays to the flight schedule.

“It’s not unexpected,” he said. “It won’t be the last time. And there will be other components of the rocket that will also fail the acceptance test.”

What’s next: New spacecraft and a new mission to the Moon

The first Vulcan mission will carry a commercial lunar lander built by Astrobotic Technology of Pittsburgh; two Amazon demonstration satellites from its planned international Kuiper satellite network, and the ashes of people who want to be buried in space as part of a memorial service provided by a company called Celestis.

The second Vulcan launched is to carry the Dream Chase, a space plane being developed by Sierra Space of Boulder, Colo., to orbit on a test flight. The current version of Dream Chaser will not carry people on board, but will be used to transport cargo to and from the International Special Station to Earth.

If the first two flights are successful, Space Force will review the data to certify the Vulcan rocket, and the first national security mission could launch as early as the second quarter of next year.

Tory Bruno said United plans to launch 25 missions in 2025, half of them government missions and half for commercial customers. “It’s a much more balanced portfolio,” he said. “That quadruples our launch rate.”

Translated by Clara Allain