United Launch Alliance ( ULA ) successfully completed the second certification flight of its Vulcan rocket on October 4, 2024, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This launch provides another step toward final certification of the rocket for national security and commercial missions.
The development of the Vulcan rocket and its capabilities
The Vulcan rocket , designed to offer increased affordability and performance, carried key experiments onboard to test the future capabilities of Centaur V , the rocket’s upper stage. With 2.5 times the power of its predecessors, Centaur V can perform the most complex orbital insertions, improving efficiency on challenging missions.
According to ULA CEO Tory Bruno, the launch met mission objectives and also provided a platform to review certain aspects, such as the performance of the solid rocket boosters ( SRB ) for their space timeline.
The Centaur V is a breakthrough in space technology, providing 450 times more endurance in space, enabling long-duration missions in more complex orbits and with more demanding requirements. These capabilities position the Vulcan rocket as an ideal choice for a variety of missions, including those related to national security and the commercial sector.
Final certification for national security missions
This launch was the second of the certification flights required by the U.S. Space Force to validate the Vulcan rocket. United Launch Alliance has been working closely with the Space Force to ensure the rocket meets the highest safety and performance standards.
Over the next few weeks, ULA teams will review flight data to confirm the vehicle performed as expected, paving the way for final certification and future national security mission launches.
ULA’s rocket has more than 70 sold missions, including 38 for Amazon’s Project Kuiper , a project to deploy a constellation of internet satellites. In addition, ULA has announced that it will continue to refine its infrastructure to achieve a higher launch frequency, while developing future improvements, such as SMART technology , which will allow the recovery of Vulcan engines for reuse.
With a high-energy architecture and advanced precision orbital technology , the Vulcan rocket is positioned as a reliable and versatile option for all types of payloads, in any type of orbit and multiple missions in the future.
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Source and photos: United Launch Alliance
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