Vulcan Centaur
Alright, alright, alright. I might have gotten into the security side of things, which isn't bad! It's all essential information to have in the back pocket if something strikes a little close to home, BUT it's time to jump on the proverbial launch pad and send ourselves out of this world!
I've been waiting since they announced this puppy since the Artemis launch. The "Vlcan Centaur" was launched from the Kennedy Space Center 11 days ago and did everything it needed. Man, it's just something about watching a brand new rocket that's planned to be a massive component in the future leave Earth.
In a momentous stride towards the future of space exploration, United Launch Alliance (ULA) proudly unveiled its groundbreaking Vulcan rocket at Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on January 5. Anticipation is building for the scheduled launch on January 8 at 2:18 a.m. Eastern, where the Vulcan rocket will carry Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander as its primary payload.
During post-rollout briefings, ULA executives exuded confidence, assuring that no technical issues stood in the way of this historic launch. The 45-minute launch window on January 8 offers an 85% chance of favorable weather conditions. While there are alternative launch opportunities on January 9 to 11, they present narrower windows and less favorable weather forecasts.
This mission, designated Cert-1, marks a pivotal moment as it signifies Vulcan’s inaugural launch and the first of two certification flights required for ULA's approval by the U.S. Space Force to launch national security payloads. Mark Peller, Vice President of Vulcan Development at ULA, emphasized, “This certification flight is the final step in the development of Vulcan Centaur.”
The Centaur upper stage of the rocket is set to perform two burns, culminating in the release of Peregrine into a highly elliptical orbit approximately 50 minutes after liftoff. Subsequently, ULA will conduct additional tests on Centaur, including a third burn of its RL10 engines, spanning the next three and a half hours.
Gary Wentz, Vice President of Government and Commercial Programs at ULA, highlighted the significance of this flight test, stating, “We’ll use this opportunity to validate a multitude of our future mission objectives.” These objectives encompass a simulation of a long-duration mission, crucial for launches to geostationary orbit, allowing ULA to capture essential thermal data and refine models for extended-duration coast scenarios. The success of this mission sets the stage for ULA's continued advancements in space exploration and technology.
As always, here are the links from the sites I retrieved the information from and the fantastic shots of the rocket being rolled out to the launch pad:
| View Link Here |
| Learn More Here |
But wait, there's more! It's such an iconic line. I will also link a video from the Vulcan centaur stream on launch day AND a link from NASA with full details of this beautiful rocket description!!! Here you go!
Saved the best for last with this one below!:
| Full Detail Here |
