Vulcan

ULA’s Vulcan rocket in “final phase” of certification, awaiting first national security launch date

United Launch Alliance (ULA) hoists its Centaur V upper stage atop the Vulcan first stage booster into the Vertical Integration Facility-G (VIF-G) adjacent to Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Image: United Launch Alliance United Launch Alliance continues to make strides towards launching its first national security mission with its Vulcan …

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ULA begins stacking Vulcan rocket in anticipation of first national security mission

United Launch Alliance (ULA) hoists its Vulcan first stage booster into the Vertical Integration Facility-G (VIF-G) adjacent to Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The rocket will launch the USSF-106 mission for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command, Vulcan’s first national security flight. Image: United Launch Alliance Less than a …

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ULA launches second Vulcan flight, encounters strap-on booster anomaly

By thirty-seven seconds after liftoff, it was clear one of two strap-on solid fuel boostersvwas suffered an anomaly as can be seen by sparks and debris falling away from the rocket. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now United Launch Alliance fired off a next-generation Vulcan rocket Friday in the second of two “certification” test flights needed before …

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Live coverage: ULA to launch second test flight of its Vulcan rocket from Cape Canaveral

United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket sits at launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) ahead of the planned Cert-2 launch on Oct. 4, 2024. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now United Launch Alliance is preparing for its final planned test flight with its new Vulcan rocket in the pre-dawn hours of Friday morning. The mission, dubbed …

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ULA to roll its Vulcan rocket to the launch pad ahead of second test flight

United Launch Alliance (ULA) hoists the Cert-2 mission payload atop the Vulcan rocket in the Vertical Integration Facility-G (VIF-G) adjacent to Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Image: ULA United Launch Alliance is heading back to the launch pad with a Vulcan rocket ahead of the vehicle’s second launch. ULA needs to …

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Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser prepares for pre-launch journey to the Cape

Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane shown inside a test chamber at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. Image: Sierra Space Sierra Space is getting one step closer to finally seeing its Dream Chaser spaceplane reach the launch pad. The spacecraft completed its environmental testing at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, …

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Live coverage: ULA to launch final Delta 4 Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral

United Launch Alliance’s Delta 4 Heavy rocket continues fueling ahead of its planned launch on Thursday, March 28, 2024. An issue with a gaseous nitrogen pump forced a scrub of the NROL-70 mission less than four minutes before launch. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now It’s take two for the finale of the Delta family of rockets. …

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‘Cleanest first flight,’ ULA president reflects on inaugural Vulcan launch and future of program

The inaugural Vulcan rocket, powered by two Blue Origin-built BE-4 engines, lifts off from SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Jan. 8, 2024. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now United Launch Alliance entered an important new era for the company with the debut of its Vulcan rocket in early January. The flight was one that …

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Sierra Space unveils fully integrated Dream Chaser spaceplane amid testing campaign

For the first time, Sierra Space mated its Dream Chaser spaceplane to the Shooting Star module amid shake table testing at NASA’s Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now An orbital-class spaceplane is one step closer to returning to the International Space Station. As part of an on-going test campaign, Sierra Space mated …

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Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander ends mission in fiery reentry

Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander captured by a camera mounted onboard the lander on its second day in space. Image: Astrobotic The first U.S. lander bound for the Moon since 1972 burned up in Earth’s atmosphere on Thursday. The unfortunate ending for Astrobotic’s spacecraft was deemed the most responsible choice given its hopes of reaching the …

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