Makes me also wonder whether they have abandoned re-use. Of course, perhaps they just don't want to attempt that nuance on the first flight or flights. Adding that complication later does make a lot of sense.
GW
]]>Upper stage will initially be Centaur III, or Centaur V, or ACES. Centaur III has a single RL-10 engine, Centaur V has two. Info-graphic says: "ACES is ULA's next generation upper stage. With integrated vehicle fluids, ACES can stay in orbit for weeks, not hours. In the future, ACES will possess on-orbit refuelling capabilities. This will on-orbit ACES stages to be reused, dramatically reducing cost and enabling the launch of much heavier spacecraft to the distant reaches of our solar system." The info-graphic shows same diameter as Vulcan core stage, and 4 RL-10 engines.
Hmm. Why does their flight profile not mention the engine pod separating and returning? Have they abandoned reuse?
]]>I may be wrong, but originally, they were going to try to recover the engines only, not the whole Vulcan stage, to address reusability. Otherwise, this is just another expendable launcher.
GW
]]>January 8 2024 ULA Vulcan Centaur inaugural flight
The picture shows the stage arriving at the Cape in January of 2023. I assume the year since has been spent integrating the systems for the 2024 launch.
(th)
]]>But be aware the odds for a near-perfect flight on the first flight are not good. And to send something to the moon, it has to be a near-perfect flight.
Question: was not the Vulcan supposed to have recoverable engines?
GW
]]>no link so will copy content.
January 8 2024 ULA Vulcan Centaur inaugural flight
United Launch Alliance’s first Vulcan rocket is unloaded from ULA Rocketship at Port Canaveral, FL Sunday, January 22, 2023.
The Vulcan, United Launch Alliance’s newest launch vehicle, arrived at Port Canaveral by ship last night.
Mission:
United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan Centaur rocket, which will replace Atlas V to become the only vehicle in its fleet, will fly its inaugural mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station carrying Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander. The lander, selected by NASA to help advance research ahead of putting two astronauts on the surface by 2030, is expected to touch down on the northern part of the moon.
Launch time : 2:18 a.m.
Location : Launch Complex 41.
Trajectory: Northeast.
Booster landing: None; Vulcan is expendable.
Live coverage: Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at https://floridatoday.com/space.
No way to know what is doing this.
]]>However, this is USAF. I doubt lower costs with a partly-reusable booster was the issue. I think rapidly-failing availability of Atlas-5 boosters was.
Especially since I haven't heard a peep recently about any real progress toward Vulcan, ULA's replacement for Atlas-5. I saw the photo of it being stacked. I have seen absolutely NOTHING about any engine tests, fueling tests, or anything else of that sort.
Until the real ground testing actually gets done, Vulcan is not going to fly anytime soon. Of course, with "old space's" addiction to corporate welfare, they have evidently forgotten how to actually deliver for the money received.
GW
]]>I found a small news item on the NBC News site that says the X-37B is going to be launched with a Falcon-Heavy rocket. That launch has been delayed until tomorrow (Monday). It's always been an Atlas-5 before.
BTW, the heat shield on X-37B is about the same as that on the space shuttle, except: they are using a two-piece ceramic refractory tile denoted "Tufroc" at the stagnation zones, instead of carbon-carbon ablative.
GW
It was also part of the combined effort to reduce launch costs as well.
]]>]]>
The move comes after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission voted unanimously last month to sue to block the deal over antitrust concerns.
The merger, which was announced in late 2020, drew criticism as it would give Lockheed a dominant position over solid fuel rocket motors -- a vital piece of the U.S. missile industry."Our planned acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne would have benefitted the entire industry through greater efficiency, speed, and significant cost reductions for the U.S. government," said Lockheed Martin CEO James Taiclet in a news release. "However, we determined that in light of the FTC's actions, terminating the transaction is in the best interest of our stakeholders."
Since 2020, many Atlas Vs have tested components that will be used on Vulcan.
]]>