A robust new rocket is all stacked up.
The Vulcan Centaur, a next-generation booster from long-time rocket maker United Launch Alliance (ULA), has been assembled at Cape Canaveral Area Pressure Station in Florida forward of its debut launch, which is focused to happen within the subsequent few months.
Stacking occurred on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26. Testing of the rocket levels, launch platform and floor techniques are anticipated “over the subsequent few weeks” earlier than Vulcan rolls out to the launch pad for gasoline loading and countdown observe, ULA officers wrote in a blog post (opens in new tab) on Monday (Feb. 6).
As soon as that is all finished, Vulcan will full floor testing with a simulated countdown and a quick firing of its important engines to get it prepared for its first mission, referred to as Certification Flight-1.
Associated: United Launch Alliance’s 1st Vulcan Centaur rocket arrives in Florida for debut flight
Embarking on a daring new period to broaden reasonably priced entry to space, the inaugural ULA #VulcanRocket now stands assembled at its Florida launch website for pre-flight testing! #CountdowntoVulcanRead extra within the weblog: https://t.co/Nx7YazbXiz pic.twitter.com/rohxGf3QOoFebruary 6, 2023
Vulcan Centaur will change ULA’s long-standing Atlas V and Delta IV rockets, that are licensed for industrial, authorities and nationwide safety missions by the U.S. Space Force.
Vulcan Centaur is a 202-foot-tall (67 meters) rocket geared up with a Centaur V higher stage and as much as six stable rocket boosters. The primary stage is powered by two BE-4 methane-liquid oxygen engines constructed by Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight firm.
Certification-1 is tentatively focused for the primary quarter of 2023. The mission will loft two demonstration satellites for Amazon’s Venture Kuiper broadband constellation, together with a Celestis Memorial Spaceflight payload and a industrial moon lander referred to as Peregrine.
Pittsburgh-based firm Astrobotic, the maker of Peregrine, is aiming to be one of many first non-public outfits to land on the moon in 2023; given a number of missions are en route or readying for lunar launch, it’s laborious to foretell if Peregrine will probably be first on the floor.
Elizabeth Howell is the co-author of “Why Am I Taller (opens in new tab)?” (ECW Press, 2022; with Canadian astronaut Dave Williams), a ebook about space medication. Observe her on Twitter @howellspace (opens in new tab). Observe us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or Facebook (opens in new tab).
