Function | Heavy-lift launch vehicle |
---|---|
Manufacturer | United Launch Alliance |
Country of origin | United States |
Cost per launch | About US$100–200 million [1] [2] |
Size | |
Height | Standard: 61.6 m (202 ft) Long: 67.3 m (221 ft) [3] |
Diameter | 5.4 m (18 ft) [4] |
Mass | 546,700 kg (1,205,300 lb) |
Stages | 2 |
Capacity | |
Payload to LEO | |
Orbital inclination | 28.7° |
Mass | 27,200 kg (60,000 lb) [5] |
Payload to GTO | |
Orbital inclination | 27° |
Mass | 15,300 kg (33,700 lb) [5] |
Payload to GEO | |
Mass | 7,000 kg (15,000 lb) [5] |
Payload to TLI | |
Mass | 12,100 kg (26,700 lb) [5] |
Launch history | |
Status | Operational |
Launch sites | |
Total launches | 1 |
Success(es) | 1 |
First flight | 8 January 2024 [7] |
Boosters – GEM-63XL | |
No. boosters | 0, 2, 4, or 6 [8] |
Height | 22.0 m (865 in) |
Diameter | 1.62 m (63.7 in) |
Empty mass | 4,521 kg (9,966 lb) |
Gross mass | 53,030 kg (116,920 lb) |
Propellant mass | 47,853 kg (105,497 lb) |
Maximum thrust | 2,044 kN (460,000 lbf) each |
Specific impulse | 280.3 s (2.749 km/s) |
Burn time | 87.3 seconds |
Propellant | AP / HTPB / Al |
First stage –Vulcan | |
Height | 33.3 m (109 ft) |
Diameter | 5.4 m (18 ft) |
Powered by | 2 ×BE-4 |
Maximum thrust | 4,900 kN (1,100,000 lbf) |
Burn time | 299 seconds [9] [10] |
Propellant | LOX / CH4 |
Second stage –Centaur V | |
Height | 11.7 m (38 ft) |
Diameter | 5.4 m (18 ft) |
Powered by | 2 ×RL10 [11] |
Maximum thrust | 212 kN (48,000 lbf) [12] |
Specific impulse | 453.8 s (4.450 km/s) [12] |
Propellant | LOX / LH2 |
Vulcan Centaur is a heavy-lift launch vehicle created and operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA). It is a two-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle consisting of the Vulcan first stage and the Centaur second stage. It replaces ULA's Atlas V and Delta IV rockets. It is principally designed for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program,which launches satellites for U.S. intelligence agencies and the Defense Department,but will also be used for commercial launches.
ULA began developing the Vulcan rocket in 2014,largely to compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9 and to comply with a Congressional requirement to stop using the Russian-made RD-180 engine that powers the Atlas V. The first flight of the Vulcan Centaur was initially slated for 2019,but was delayed multiple times by developmental problems with its BE-4 engine and the Centaur upper stage. [13] Vulcan Centaur launched for the first time on 8 January 2024 carrying Astrobotic Technology's Peregrine lunar lander,the first mission of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. [14]
The Vulcan Centaur uses technologies from ULA's Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles,plus newer gear for better performance and lower costs. The Vulcan first stage is similar in size as the Delta family's Common Booster Core,allowing ULA to reuse manufacturing equipment.
It uses two BE-4 engines built by Blue Origin that burn liquid oxygen and liquid methane (liquefied natural gas). [15] [16] Methane burns cleaner than the kerosene used on Atlas,spewing less particle pollution and making it more suitable for engine reuse. Compared to the liquid hydrogen used on Delta,it is denser and has a greater temperature range,allowing fuel tanks to be smaller and lighter. [17] [18]
The second stage is the Centaur V,a larger and improved version of the Centaur III used on the Atlas,which is powered by two RL10 engines built by Aerojet Rocketdyne,fueled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. [19] The first stage can be supplemented by up to six GEM 63XL solid rocket boosters built by Northrop Grumman. [8] [20]
Vulcan Centaur offers heavy-lift capabilities in the footprint of a medium-lift launch vehicle. With a single core and six GEM boosters,the Vulcan Centaur can lift 27,200 kilograms (60,000 lb) to low Earth orbit (LEO). [21] That is much more than the 18,850 kg (41,560 lb) that the Atlas V could lift to LEO with a single core and five GEM boosters, [22] and nearly as much as the three-core Delta IV Heavy which could lift 28,790 kg (63,470 lb) to LEO. [23]
Vulcan has been designed to meet the requirements of the National Security Space Launch program and is designed to achieve human-rating certification to allow the launch of a vehicle such as the Boeing Starliner or Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser. [19] [24] [3]
ULA decided to develop the Vulcan Centaur in 2014 for two main reasons. First,its commercial and civil customers were flocking to SpaceX's cheaper Falcon 9 reusable launch vehicle,leaving ULA increasingly reliant on U.S. military and spy agency contracts. [25] [26] Second,Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 heightened Congressional discomfort with the Pentagon's reliance on the Atlas V,which used the made-in-Russia RD-180 engine. In 2016,Congress would pass a law barring the military from procuring launch services based on the RD-180 engine after 2022. [27]
In September 2014,ULA announced that it had picked the BE-4 engine from Blue Origin and fueled by liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid methane (CH4) to replace the RD-180 on a new first-stage booster. The engine was already in its third year of development,and ULA said it expected the new stage and engine to start flying as soon as 2019. [28] Two of the 2,400- kilonewton (550,000 lbf )-thrust BE-4 engines were to be used on a new launch vehicle booster. [29] [30] [28]
A month later,ULA restructured company processes and its workforce to reduce costs. The company said 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. [26]
In 2015,ULA announced the Vulcan rocket and a proposing to incrementally replace existing vehicles with it. [31] 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. [31] 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. [32]
Through the first several years,the ULA board of directors made quarterly funding commitments to Vulcan Centaur development. [33] As of October 2018 [update] ,the US government had committed about $1.2 billion in a public–private partnership to Vulcan Centaur development,with plans for more once ULA concluded a National Security Space Launch contract. [34]
By March 2016,the United States Air Force (USAF) had committed up to $202 million for Vulcan development. ULA had not yet estimated the total cost of development but CEO Tory Bruno said that "new rockets typically cost $2 billion,including $1 billion for the main engine". [33] In March 2018,Bruno said the Vulcan-Centaur had been "75% privately funded" up to that point. [35] In October 2018,following a request for proposals and technical evaluation,ULA was awarded $967 million to develop a prototype Vulcan launch system as part of the National Security Space Launch program. [34]
In September 2015,it was announced BE-4 rocket engine production would be expanded to allow more testing. [36] 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 the less dense methane fuel. [16] In late 2017,the upper stage was changed to the larger and heavier Centaur V,and the launch vehicle was renamed Vulcan Centaur. [35] In May 2018,ULA announced the selection of Aerojet Rocketdyne's RL10 engine for the Vulcan Centaur upper stage. [37] That September,ULA announced the selection of the Blue Origin BE-4 engine for Vulcan's first stage. [38] [39] 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. [40] [41]
In August 2019,the parts of Vulcan's mobile launcher platform (MLP) were transported [42] 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. [43] In February 2021,ULA shipped the first completed Vulcan core booster to Florida for pathfinder tests ahead of the Vulcan's debut launch. [44] Testing continued proceeded with the pathfinder booster throughout that year. [45] [46]
In August 2019,ULA said Vulcan Centaur would first fly in early 2021,carrying Astrobotic Technology's Peregrine lunar lander. [47] [48] [30] By December 2020,the launch had been delayed to 2022 because of technical problems with the BE-4 main engine. [49] [50] In June 2021,Astrobotic said Peregrine would not be ready on 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. [51] [52] [53] In March 2023,a Centaur V test stage failed during a test sequence. To fix the problem,ULA changed the structure of the stage and built a new Centaur for Vulcan Centaur's maiden flight. [54] In October 2023,ULA announced they aimed to launch Vulcan Centaur by year's end. [55]
On 8 January 2024,Vulcan lifted off for the first time. The flight used the VC2S configuration,with two solid rocket boosters and a standard-length fairing. A 4-minute trans-lunar injection burn followed by payload separation put the Peregrine lander on a trajectory to the Moon. One hour and 18 minutes into the flight,the Centaur upper stage fired for a third time,sending it into a heliocentric orbit to test how it would behave in long missions,such as those required to send payloads to geostationary orbit. [14] [56]
A failure in the Peregrine's propulsion system shortly after separation prevented it from landing on the Moon;Astrobotic said the Vulcan Centaur rocket performed without problems. [57]
On 14 August 2019,ULA won a commercial competition when it was announced the second Vulcan certification flight would be named 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. [58] The SNC Demo-1 was scheduled for launch no earlier than April 2024. [59]
After Vulcan Centaur's second certification mission,the rocket will be qualified for use on U.S. military missions. [60] As of August 2020 [update] ,Vulcan was to launch ULA's awarded 60% share of National Security Space Launch payloads from 2022 to 2027, [61] but delays occurred. The Space Force's USSF-51 launch in late 2022 was 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". [62] For similar reasons,the Kuiper Systems prototype flight was moved to an Atlas V rocket. [63]
After Vulcan's first launch in January 2024,developmental delays with the Dream Chaser led ULA to contemplate replacing it with a mass simulator so Vulcan could move ahead with the certification required by its Air Force contract. [64] Bloomberg News reported in May 2024 that United Launch Alliance was accruing financial penalties due to delays in the military launch contracts. [65] On 10 May,Air Force Assistant Secretary Frank Calvelli wrote to Boeing and Lockheed executives. "I am growing concerned with ULA's ability to scale manufacturing of its Vulcan rocket and scale its launch cadence to meet our needs",Calvelli wrote in the letter,a copy of which was obtained by the Washington Post. "Currently there is military satellite capability sitting on the ground due to Vulcan delays." [66] In June 2024,Bruno announced that Vulcan would make its second flight in September with an “inert payload”plus some “experiments and demonstrations”to help develop future technology for the Centaur upper stage. [67]
ULA has four-character designations for the various Vulcan Centaur configurations. They start with VC for the Vulcan first stage and the Centaur upper stage. The third character is the number of SRBs attached to the Vulcan—0,2,4 or 6—and the fourth denotes the payload-fairing length:S for Standard (15.5 m (51 ft)) or L for Long (21.3 m (70 ft)). [68] For example,"VC6L" would represent a Vulcan first stage,a Centaur upper stage,six SRBs and a long-configuration fairing. [68] 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. [69]
The payload capacity of Vulcan Centaur versions are: [70] [69]
Version | SRBs | Payload mass to... | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ISS [lower-alpha 1] | SSO [lower-alpha 2] | MEO [lower-alpha 3] | GEO [lower-alpha 4] | GTO [lower-alpha 5] | Molniya [lower-alpha 6] | TLI [lower-alpha 7] | TMI | ||
Vulcan Centaur VC0 | 0 | 8,800 kg (19,400 lb) | 7,900 kg (17,400 lb) | 300 kg (660 lb) | — | 3,300 kg (7,300 lb) | 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) | 2,100 kg (4,600 lb) | — |
Vulcan Centaur VC2 | 2 | 16,300 kg (35,900 lb) | 14,400 kg (31,700 lb) | 3,800 kg (8,400 lb) | 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) | 8,300 kg (18,300 lb) | 6,200 kg (13,700 lb) | 6,200 kg (13,700 lb) | 3,600 kg (7,900 lb) |
Vulcan Centaur VC4 | 4 | 21,400 kg (47,200 lb) | 18,500 kg (40,800 lb) | 6,100 kg (13,400 lb) | 4,800 kg (10,600 lb) | 11,600 kg (25,600 lb) | 8,900 kg (19,600 lb) | 9,100 kg (20,100 lb) | 6,000 kg (13,000 lb) |
Vulcan Centaur VC6 | 6 | 25,600 kg (56,400 lb) | 22,300 kg (49,200 lb) | 7,900 kg (17,400 lb) | 6,300 kg (13,900 lb) | 14,400 kg (31,700 lb) | 10,600 kg (23,400 lb) | 11,300 kg (24,900 lb) | 7,600 kg (16,800 lb) |
Vulcan Centaur VC6 (upgrade) | 6 | 26,900 kg (59,300 lb) | TBA | 8,600 kg (19,000 lb) | 7,000 kg (15,000 lb) | 15,300 kg (33,700 lb) | TBA | 12,100 kg (26,700 lb) | 7,600 kg (16,800 lb) |
These capabilities reflect NSSL requirements, plus room for growth. [5] [71]
A 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. [72]
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 | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 | Peregrine lander | 1,283 kg (2,829 lb) | TLI | Astrobotic Technology | Success [73] |
Enterprise (space burial) | Heliocentric | Celestis | ||||||
Maiden flight of Vulcan Centaur. Vulcan Certification-1 mission, the first of two launches needed to certify the rocket for National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions. Payload from Celestis, demonstrated 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. [74] |
Future launches are listed chronologically when firm plans are in place. The order of the later launches is much less certain. [75] Launches are expected to take place "no earlier than" (NET) the listed date.
Date / time (UTC) [75] | Rocket, configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 October 2024 | Vulcan Centaur VC2S [76] | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 | Mass simulator | TBA | United Launch Alliance |
Certification-2 mission, the second of two launches needed to certify the rocket for NSSL missions. Originally scheduled to carry the first flight of Dream Chaser; due to schedule delays with Dream Chaser, ULA will fly an inert payload with experiments and demonstrations of future Centaur V technologies. [77] [78] | |||||
Late October 2024 | Vulcan Centaur VC4S | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 | USSF-106 / NTS-3 | GEO | U.S. Space Force |
USSF-106 mission. [79] Maiden flight of Vulcan VC4S Configuration. [80] [81] First NSSL mission for Vulcan Centaur. [82] | |||||
December 2024 | Vulcan Centaur VC4S | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 | USSF-87 (GSSAP 7 & 8) | GEO | U.S. Space Force |
USSF-87 Mission. [83] It will launch two identical Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness satellites, GSSAP-7 and 8, directly to a geosynchronous orbit. [84] |
Date / time (UTC) [75] | Rocket, configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 2025 | Vulcan Centaur VC2S [85] | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 | GPS-III SV07 | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
First GPS mission for Vulcan Centaur. | |||||
March 2025 [77] | Vulcan Centaur VC4L [81] | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 | SNC Demo-1 (Dream Chaser Tenacity) | LEO (ISS) | NASA (CRS) |
First flight of Dream Chaser. Originally scheduled to fly on Vulcan Certification-2 mission. | |||||
2025 [86] | Vulcan Centaur VC2S [85] | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 | GPS-III SV08 | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
Eighth GPS Block III navigation satellite. | |||||
2025 [87] | Vulcan Centaur VC2S [85] | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 | GPS-III SV09 | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
Ninth GPS Block III navigation satellite. | |||||
2025 [86] | Vulcan Centaur VC4 | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 | NROL-64 | TBA | NRO |
First NRO launch on Vulcan | |||||
2025 [86] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC-3E | NROL-83 | TBA | NRO |
Classified NRO payload. First Vulcan Centaur launch from Vandenberg | |||||
2025 [88] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 | PTS-P | GEO | U.S. Space Force |
Protected Tactical Satcom prototype payload. The PTS payload will fly on dedicated Northrop Grumman built ESPAStar-HP satellite bus. | |||||
2025 [86] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC-3E | SDA T1TR-B | LEO | SDA |
Tranche 1 Tracking Layer B missile tracking satellites. | |||||
2025 [86] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC-3E | SDA T1TR-D | LEO | SDA |
Tranche 1 Tracking Layer D missile tracking satellites. | |||||
2025 [89] | Vulcan Centaur VC4 | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 | USSF-112 | TBA | U.S. Space Force |
Classified payload. | |||||
2025 [86] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC-3E | USSF-114 | TBA | U.S. Space Force |
Classified payload. | |||||
2025 [89] [90] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 | WGS-11 | GEO | U.S. Space Force |
Military communications satellite. |
Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
NLT 2027 [91] [87] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 [92] | DRACO Demo (USSF-25) | LEO | U.S. Space Force |
Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) is a DARPA program to demonstrate a working nuclear thermal rocket in space. |
Since 2015, ULA has spoken of several technologies that would improve the Vulcan launch vehicle's capabilities. These include first-stage improvements to make the most expensive components potentially reusable and second-stage improvements to allow the rocket to operate for months in Earth-orbit cislunar space. [97]
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 be upgraded to include Integrated Vehicle Fluids technology that would allow the upper stage to function in orbit for weeks instead of hours. The ACES upper stage was cancelled in September 2020, [31] [98] and ULA said the Vulcan second stage would now be the Centaur V upper stage: a larger, more powerful version of the Dual Engine Centaur upper stage used by the Atlas V N22. [19] [97] A senior executive at ULA said the Centaur V design was also heavily influenced by ACES. [99] [72]
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. [99]
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. [100] ULA estimated this technology could reduce the cost of the first stage propulsion by 90%, and 65% of the total first-stage cost. [32] [100] Although SMART reuse was not initially funded for development, [97] from 2021 the higher launch cadence required to launch the Project Kuiper megaconstellation provided support for the concept's business case. [101] Prior to 2022, ULA intended to catch the engine section using a helicopter. [100]
In September 2020, ULA announced that they were carefully studying a "Vulcan Heavy" variant with three booster cores. Speculation about a new variant had been rampant for months after an image of a model of that version popped on social media. ULA CEO Tory Bruno later tweeted a clearer image of the model and said it was the subject of ongoing study. [102] [103] [ needs update ]
The Centaur is a family of rocket propelled upper stages that has been in use since 1962. It is currently produced by U.S. launch service provider United Launch Alliance, with one main active version and one version under development. The 3.05 m (10.0 ft) diameter Common Centaur/Centaur III flies as the upper stage of the Atlas V launch vehicle, and the 5.4 m (18 ft) diameter Centaur V has been developed as the upper stage of ULA's new Vulcan rocket. Centaur was the first rocket stage to use liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellants, a high-energy combination that is ideal for upper stages but has significant handling difficulties.
Delta IV was a group of five expendable launch systems in the Delta rocket family. It flew 45 missions from 2002 to 2024. Originally designed by Boeing's Defense, Space and Security division for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, the Delta IV became a United Launch Alliance (ULA) product in 2006. The Delta IV was primarily a launch vehicle for United States Air Force (USAF) military payloads, but was also used to launch a number of United States government non-military payloads and a single commercial satellite.
National Security Space Launch (NSSL) is a program of the United States Space Force (USSF) intended to assure access to space for United States Department of Defense and other United States government payloads. The program is managed by the Assured Access to Space Directorate (SSC/AA) of the Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC), in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office.
The RL10 is a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine built in the United States by Aerojet Rocketdyne that burns cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants. Modern versions produce up to 110 kN (24,729 lbf) of thrust per engine in vacuum. Three RL10 versions are in production for the Centaur upper stage of the Atlas V and the DCSS of the Delta IV. Three more versions are in development for the Exploration Upper Stage of the Space Launch System and the Centaur V of the Vulcan rocket.
Blue Origin Enterprises, L.P., commonly referred to as Blue Origin is an American aerospace manufacturer, government contractor, launch service provider, and space technologies company headquartered in Kent, Washington, United States. The company makes rocket engines for United Launch Alliance (ULA)'s Vulcan rocket and manufactures their own rockets, spacecraft, satellites, and heavy-lift launch vehicles. The company is the second provider of lunar lander services for NASA's Artemis program and was awarded a $3.4 billion contract. The four rocket engines the company has in production are the BE-3U, BE-3PM, BE-4 and the BE-7.
Atlas V is an expendable launch system and the fifth major version in the Atlas launch vehicle family. It was designed by Lockheed Martin and has been operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA) since 2006. It is used for DoD, NASA, and commercial payloads. It is America's longest-serving active rocket. After 87 launches, in August 2021 ULA announced that Atlas V would be retired, and all 29 remaining launches had been sold. As of July 2024, 15 launches remain. Production ceased in 2024. Other future ULA launches will use the Vulcan Centaur rocket.
The Graphite-Epoxy Motor (GEM) is a family of solid rocket boosters developed in the late 1980s and used since 1990. GEM motors are manufactured with carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer casings and a fuel consisting of HTPB-bound ammonium perchlorate composite propellant. GEM is produced by Northrop Grumman Space Systems. GEM boosters are used on the Atlas V and were previously used on the Delta II, Delta III, and Delta IV launch vehicles. A new variant, the GEM 63XL, flew as part of the Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle on 8 January 2024.
The RD-180 is a rocket engine that was designed and built in Russia. It features a dual combustion chamber, dual-nozzle design and is fueled by a RP-1/LOX mixture. The RD-180 is derived from the RD-170 line of rocket engines, which were used in the Soviet Energia launch vehicle. The engine was developed for use on the US Atlas III and Atlas V launch vehicles and first flew in 2000. It was never used on any other rocket. The engine has flown successfully on all six Atlas III flights and on 99 Atlas V flights, with just a single non-critical failure in March 2016.
Space Launch Complex 3 (SLC-3) is a launch site at Vandenberg Space Force Base that consists of two separate launch pads. SLC-3E (East) was used by the Atlas V launch vehicle before it was decommissioned in August 2021 with the final launch taking place on November 10, 2022 at 09:49, while SLC-3W (West) has been demolished.
United Launch Alliance, LLC (ULA) is an American launch service provider formed in December 2006 as a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. The company designs, assembles, sells and launches rockets, but the company subcontracts out the production of rocket engines and solid rocket boosters.
The Atlas III was an American orbital launch vehicle, used in the years between 2000 and 2005. It was developed from the highly successful Atlas II rocket and shared many components. It was the first member of the Atlas family since the Atlas A to feature a "normal" staging method, compared to the previous Atlas family members, which were equipped with two jettisonable outboard engines on the first (booster) stage. The Atlas III was developed further to create the Atlas V.
Atlas is a family of US missiles and space launch vehicles that originated with the SM-65 Atlas. The Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program was initiated in the late 1950s under the Convair Division of General Dynamics. Atlas was a liquid propellant rocket burning RP-1 kerosene fuel with liquid oxygen in three engines configured in an unusual "stage-and-a-half" or "parallel staging" design: two outboard booster engines were jettisoned along with supporting structures during ascent, while the center sustainer engine, propellant tanks and other structural elements remained connected through propellant depletion and engine shutdown.
The Delta IV Heavy was an expendable heavy-lift launch vehicle, the largest type of the Delta IV family. It was the world's third highest-capacity launch vehicle in operation at the time of its retirement in 2024, behind NASA's Space Launch System and SpaceX's Falcon Heavy and closely followed by CASC's Long March 5. It was manufactured by United Launch Alliance (ULA) and was first launched in 2004. ULA retired the Delta IV Heavy in 2024. Future ULA launches will use the new Vulcan Centaur rocket. Delta IV's final flight was on 9 April 2024.
Astrobotic Technology, Inc., commonly referred to as Astrobotic, is an American private company that is developing space robotics technology for lunar and planetary missions. It was founded in 2007 by Carnegie Mellon professor Red Whittaker and his associates with the goal of winning the Google Lunar X Prize. The company is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Their first launch occurred on January 8, 2024, as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The launch carried the company's Peregrine lunar lander on board the first flight of the Vulcan Centaur rocket from Florida's Space Force Station LC-41. The mission was unable to reach the Moon for a soft or hard landing. On June 11, 2020, Astrobotic received a second contract for the CLPS program. NASA would pay Astrobotic US$199.5 million to take the VIPER rover to the Moon, targeting a landing in November 2024. In July 2024, NASA announced that VIPER had been cancelled.
The Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage (ACES) was a proposed liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen upper-stage for use on a number of different launch vehicles produced by Boeing, Lockheed Martin, United Launch Alliance (ULA). During the last five years of the program, ACES was proposed for eventual use on the Vulcan space launch vehicle designed by the U.S. company United Launch Alliance. The ACES concept had the objective to improve the on-orbit lifespan of current upper stages.
The BE-3 is a liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen rocket engine developed by Blue Origin.
The BE-4 is an oxygen-rich liquefied-methane-fueled staged-combustion rocket engine produced by Blue Origin. The BE-4 was developed with private and public funding. The engine has been designed to produce 2.4 meganewtons (550,000 lbf) of thrust at sea level.
New Glenn is a heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by Blue Origin, named after NASA astronaut John Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit Earth. New Glenn is a two-stage rocket with a diameter of 7 m (23 ft). Its first stage is powered by seven BE-4 engines that are also designed and manufactured by Blue Origin. It is intended to launch from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 36, with the first stage landing on a barge called Landing Platform Vessel 1. The inaugural vehicle was unveiled on the launch pad in February 2024.
Peregrine Lunar Lander flight 01, commonly referred to as Peregrine Mission One, was an unsuccessful American lunar lander mission. The lander, dubbed Peregrine, was built by Astrobotic Technology and carried payloads for the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Peregrine Mission One launched on 8 January 2024, at 2:18 am EST, on the maiden flight of the Vulcan Centaur (Vulcan) rocket. The goal was to land the first U.S.-built lunar lander on the Moon since the crewed Apollo Lunar Module on Apollo 17 in 1972.
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.
We chose LNG because it is highly efficient, low cost and widely available. Unlike kerosene, LNG can be used to self-pressurize its tank. Known as autogenous repressurization, this eliminates the need for costly and complex systems that draw on Earth's scarce helium reserves. LNG also possesses clean combustion characteristics even at low throttle, simplifying engine reuse compared to kerosene fuels.
"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".
...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.
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