United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Next Generation Launch System (NGLS)

Flyaway said:
Josh_TN said:
Redesigning the Vulcan around ULA's biggest competitor would hardly save any time or money at this point, besides being a rather bad strategic move.
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They are kind of stuck now. Any alternative would be even worse in both time and money.
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Undoubtedly someone in the Launch program office will blow the dust off of the AR-1 studies...
 
mkellytx said:
Flyaway said:
Josh_TN said:
Redesigning the Vulcan around ULA's biggest competitor would hardly save any time or money at this point, besides being a rather bad strategic move.
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They are kind of stuck now. Any alternative would be even worse in both time and money.
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Undoubtedly someone in the Launch program office will blow the dust off of the AR-1 studies...
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Interesting "study":

spacenews.com

Aerojet Rocketdyne completes assembly of its first AR1 rocket engine

Aerojet Rocketdyne has completed the assembly of the first AR1, a new rocket engine funded by the U.S. Air Force.
spacenews.com spacenews.com

Still, if they went to this engine there goes any pretense of even partial reusability.
 
sferrin said:
mkellytx said:
Flyaway said:
Josh_TN said:
Redesigning the Vulcan around ULA's biggest competitor would hardly save any time or money at this point, besides being a rather bad strategic move.
Click to expand...
They are kind of stuck now. Any alternative would be even worse in both time and money.
Click to expand...
Undoubtedly someone in the Launch program office will blow the dust off of the AR-1 studies...
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Interesting "study":

spacenews.com

Aerojet Rocketdyne completes assembly of its first AR1 rocket engine

Aerojet Rocketdyne has completed the assembly of the first AR1, a new rocket engine funded by the U.S. Air Force.
spacenews.com spacenews.com

Still, if they went to this engine there goes any pretense of even partial reusability.
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Also it would mean redesigning and re plumbing Vulcan. It’s not just a case of dropping the engine in.
 
sferrin said:
You seem to get around. :)
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Thanks, I guess. It wasn't so much that I got around it was just 2010-2012 was a really interesting time to work EELV. AR-1 was supposed to be plug and play with Atlas when we started that study...

The same off course could be said of my time in bombers, but that's a bit off topic.
 
ULA now projects receiving engines in mid-2022 and flying Vulcan by year’s end.
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spacenews.com

Space and national security: What to expect in 2022

The Space Force stands on firmer political ground but is coming under pressure to deliver new technologies to counter threats from Russia and China. The Space Development Agency is counting down to…
spacenews.com spacenews.com
 
Unfortunately a lot of the associated technology would need to be recreated from scratch or near enough.
 
WASHINGTON — Aerojet Rocketdyne announced April 11 it has received an order from United Launch Alliance for 116 engines for the upper stage of ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket.

Aerojet said this was the company’s largest ever contract for the RL10 engine.

The large purchase of rocket engines comes on the heels of Amazon’s announcement April 5 that it selected Arianespace, Blue Origin and ULA to launch up to 3,236 satellites for its Project Kuiper broadband constellation.
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spacenews.com

ULA orders 116 Aerojet Rocketdyne engines for Vulcan’s upper stage

Aerojet Rocketdyne announced April 11 it has received an order from United Launch Alliance for 116 engines for the upper stage of ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket.
spacenews.com spacenews.com
 
first two BE-4 get build for Frist Vulcan
https://twitter.com/x/status/1518965639272177665
View: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1518965639272177665


mean while at SpaceX...
FRS8Xr4UYAEL_NC
 
Yet more delay for Vulcan. It’s now not just the engines but the payload as well for the first flight delaying things. The Peregrine lunar lander still is being assembled let alone the testing it needs to undergo.

United Launch Alliance's powerful new Vulcan rocket was originally scheduled to debut in 2020 but has since been delayed a couple of times.

Presently, it is due to fly during the second half of this year, and the Colorado-based launch company is still holding to the 2022 date. On Wednesday, United Launch Alliance spokesperson Jessica Rye told Ars, "We are well positioned for a Vulcan first launch late this year." However, another delay now seems inevitable, sources say, with the rocket slipping toward a demonstration launch in 2023.
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There are two main issues holding Vulcan back from making its debut: the readiness of its main engines and the payload that it will carry. At this point, neither appear likely to support a 2022 launch.
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arstechnica.com

The large Vulcan rocket is unlikely to make its debut in 2022

ULA has a lot riding on this first Vulcan flight.
arstechnica.com arstechnica.com
 
Flyaway said:
Yet more delay for Vulcan. It’s now not just the engines but the payload as well for the first flight delaying things. The Peregrine lunar lander still is being assembled let alone the testing it needs to undergo.

United Launch Alliance's powerful new Vulcan rocket was originally scheduled to debut in 2020 but has since been delayed a couple of times.

Presently, it is due to fly during the second half of this year, and the Colorado-based launch company is still holding to the 2022 date. On Wednesday, United Launch Alliance spokesperson Jessica Rye told Ars, "We are well positioned for a Vulcan first launch late this year." However, another delay now seems inevitable, sources say, with the rocket slipping toward a demonstration launch in 2023.
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There are two main issues holding Vulcan back from making its debut: the readiness of its main engines and the payload that it will carry. At this point, neither appear likely to support a 2022 launch.
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arstechnica.com

The large Vulcan rocket is unlikely to make its debut in 2022

ULA has a lot riding on this first Vulcan flight.
arstechnica.com arstechnica.com
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Not good for Vulcan, let's hope that it can make the end of 2022 launch date as planned, and the Peregrine Lunar lander sorted.
 
I think the USAF made a serious mistake in down-selecting to just one rocket-motor design for the Vulcan, they should've kept funding the development of the Aerojet rocket as a backup.
 
NMaude said:
I think the USAF made a serious mistake in down-selecting to just one rocket-motor design for the Vulcan, they should've kept funding the development of the Aerojet rocket as a backup.
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The problem is you wouldn’t have been able to finalise the Vulcan’s design until you down-selected to one motor or the other.
 
And here comes the man carrying the big stick!!!

U.S. Space Force acquisition executive Frank Calvelli this week will visit United Launch Alliance’s factory in Decatur, Alabama, and get an update on the company’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket, a vehicle that the U.S. military has invested in and expects to use to launch national security satellites.

Calvelli, who has been on the job for less than two months, told reporters at the Pentagon June 28 that he is aware of the delays in the development of Vulcan’s main engine, Blue Origin’s BE-4, and that is why he decided to put ULA and Blue Origin on this travel schedule sooner rather than later.

“One of the first industry visits I want to make is down there to make sure they understand the importance of hitting their milestones with that engine delivery as well as with the launch,” Calvelli said.
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Calvelli said he expects Vulcan’s first launch in December. “That’s what I’ve been told.”
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Calvelli said he will be briefed on the status of Vulcan during his planned visit June 30. “I’ve never gotten a good deep dive on just what Vulcan is all about and what the BE-4 is all about,” he said. “I’m going down there as one of my first industry visits to make sure they know it’s really critical that they launch this year in December like they committed to, that they get those engines delivered,” he added. “So I’m going there as education to learn, and to make sure that both Blue Origin and ULA know how critical this is.”

At this point Calvelli said he has no specific concerns about the program but believes it’s important enough to merit a visit. “I just want them to recognize that there’s somebody new in town, and that this is really important to me.”
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spacenews.com

Space Force acquisition chief to meet with ULA and Blue Origin, expects Vulcan to launch in December - SpaceNews

Frank Calvelli said he wants to make sure Blue Origin and ULA understand 'the importance of hitting their milestones' for the BE-4 and Vulcan
spacenews.com spacenews.com
 
Flyaway said:
NMaude said:
I think the USAF made a serious mistake in down-selecting to just one rocket-motor design for the Vulcan, they should've kept funding the development of the Aerojet rocket as a backup.
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The problem is you wouldn’t have been able to finalise the Vulcan’s design until you down-selected to one motor or the other.
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Could barely even start, given the two motors used different propellants (AR-1 being RP-1/LOX and BE-4 being Methane/LOX). That of course drives everything from vehicle diameter to launch stand equipment. It's not like they could run the two in parallel for very long. It would have essentially been funding two separate launch vehicle development efforts, albeit with some common control systems.
 
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TomS said:
Could barely even start, given the two motors used different propellants (AR-1 being RP-1/LOX and BE-4 being Methane/LOX). That of course drives everything from vehicle diameter to launch stand equipment. It's not like they could run the two in parallel for very long. It would have essentially been funding two separate launch vehicle development efforts, albeit with some common control systems.
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The AR-1 solution was much more for an Atlas V modification than a completely new booster. Once the new propellant was chosen the die was cast for something in between an Atlas V and Delta IV. I'm sure the folks in my old office still enjoy the trips to Denver and Decatur. At least the former new entrant folks only have to go down the street...
 
Long story short if Vulcan flies without a payload it should first launch in the first quarter of 2023. If it waits for its initial payload it will be later in 2023.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1544428627684741120
View: https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1544428627684741120


Tory Bruno tweeted some, to paraphrase my 15-year-old daughter, bussin images of the BE-4 flight engines. Per a source, given final production and test time, the earliest likely delivery to ULA is late August.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1544429163305738240
View: https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1544429163305738240


If we're tracking issues before Vulcan's debut flight, there is also the readiness of the Astrobotic payload as well as the new Centaur upper stage. My sense is that, if they fly without a customer, Q1 2023 is likely, and later in 2023 if they wait for Astrobotic.
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So does this mean we'll see a green-run of the Vulcan stage by the end of this year?
 
Flyaway said:
NMaude said:
So does this mean we'll see a green-run of the Vulcan stage by the end of this year?
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Well there is talk the flight BE-4s should be with ULA by late summer.
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So by the time that the engines get delivered to ULA and fitted to the first Vulcan we could quite possibly see the first launch of the rocket by the Autumn, so that would be September or October.
 
FighterJock said:
Flyaway said:
NMaude said:
So does this mean we'll see a green-run of the Vulcan stage by the end of this year?
Click to expand...
Well there is talk the flight BE-4s should be with ULA by late summer.
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So by the time that the engines get delivered to ULA and fitted to the first Vulcan we could quite possibly see the first launch of the rocket by the Autumn, so that would be September or October.
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No I think it’s at least a six month process flow to launch once they are delivered.
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1558165473757470723
View: https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1558165473757470723


We have made various upgrades at SLC-41 to transform it into a two-rocket launch pad! #VulcanRocket #CountdownToVulcan
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1558164373742518274
View: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1558164373742518274


What’s going on at the pad? Is that a tanking crew delivering methane for the #VulcanRocket ? SLC-41 transformed into a Two rocket launch pad!!! #CountdownToVulcan
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1562168257334878208
View: https://twitter.com/spacexpad39a/status/1562168257334878208


How’s the first flight Centaur V coming? Don’t think we’ve heard anything since it left for Environmental testing months ago
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1562176621112696832
View: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1562176621112696832


Coming along nicely. Tanks built up. Equipment shelf ready (avionics, etc). RL10's delivered months ago. getting ready to populate and SOFI soon. Two prior CVs been in test & finishing up soon (Integrated Fluids Test Unit and Structural Test Unit)
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Things like this finally make the maiden launch look like it’s happening sooner rather than later.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1562893985253060613
View: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1562893985253060613


We’ll ok then. Here it is. The first flight payload fairing. #VulcanRocket! . @Astrobotic how does it look? #CountdowntoVulcan
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1563292230957166593
View: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1563292230957166593


Ok, then. I spy a BE4 Flight Engine #2 on the test stand...
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This seems most appropriate in this thread.

Star Trek icon Nichelle Nichols is taking one final journey through the final frontier.

Celestis Inc., a private space flight company that works with NASA, will include some of the actress’ ashes on a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket as part of the upcoming Enterprise flight, scheduled to take off sometime later this year.

The flight will begin in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and is slated to go beyond the James Webb telescope and into interplanetary deep space, where the company says the rocket will become the most distant permanent human repository outpost and a pathfinder for the human exploration of space
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As part of the flight, Nichols’ ashes will be joined by a few fellow Star Trek names James “Scotty” Doohan and both Gene and Majel Roddenberry. All four will have a portion of their cremated remains aboard the Enterprise alongside more than 100 other individuals.
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www.hollywoodreporter.com

‘Star Trek’ Legend Nichelle Nichols’ Ashes Will Be Sent to Deep Space

Celestis, a private space flight company that works with NASA, will include a portion of the franchise star and history-maker's ashes on a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket later this year.
www.hollywoodreporter.com www.hollywoodreporter.com

You can post a message for the flight on the link below.

enterprise-flight.com

Nichelle Nichols Tribute (Official) - Celestis Memorial Spaceflights

Send your tribute message with Nichelle Nichols as she joins the first Celestis Voyager Memorial Spaceflight – the Enterprise Flight, launching later this year.
enterprise-flight.com enterprise-flight.com
 
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More delay with the BE-4 & the Peregrine lunar lander payload for Vulcan’s maiden flight.

Sources told Ars that the first engine was put onto the test stand in Texas early in August, but almost as soon as work began to hot-fire the powerful engine an issue was discovered with the engine build. This necessitated a shipment back to Blue Origin's factory in mid-August, as the company's test stands in Texas do not allow for more than minor work.

As a result of this technical issue, ULA now appears likely to get one flight engine this month, but it probably will not receive the other one for installation onto the Vulcan rocket before mid-October, assuming a clean battery of tests in Texas.

Almost certainly this will preclude a debut of the Vulcan rocket in 2022. It will simply not be possible for ULA to install and test the engines, move the rocket to Florida, and stand it up for launch in less than three months. However, Rye said that remains the company's goal. "ULA is planning for a launch by the end of the year," she said.

The engines are not the only factor behind a potential delay for Vulcan. The customer for the rocket, Astrobotic, has not completed final assembly of its Peregrine spacecraft that is intended to land scientific and commercial payloads on the Moon.

"Peregrine is currently undergoing final integration at Astrobotic’s headquarters in Pittsburgh and will be ready for launch aboard ULA’s Vulcan Centaur," said John Thornton, Astrobotic’s CEO, in a statement to Ars. "Our nimble team has already integrated all 24 payloads to Peregrine’s decks and successfully tested communications in July with NASA’s Deep Space Network."

However, a source with knowledge of Peregrine's development said Astrobotic is still validating the performance of thrusters built by Frontier Aerospace for the spacecraft. This raises questions about whether the Peregrine lander will be ready for delivery to ULA's launch site in Florida by the end of the year. Astrobotic may decide to fly with some thruster risks or delay Peregrine's launch to accommodate more testing.
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arstechnica.com

As summer turns to fall, ULA still waiting for its BE-4 rocket engines

"Why, Mr. Spock, you almost make me believe in miracles."
arstechnica.com arstechnica.com
 

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