Vulcan Centaur
United Launch Alliance launch vehicle From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vulcan Centaur is a heavy-lift launch vehicle[a] developed and operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA). It is a two-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle consisting of the Vulcan first stage and the Centaur second stage. Replacing ULA's Atlas V and Delta IV rockets, the Vulcan Centaur is principally designed to meet the needs of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, which supports U.S. intelligence agencies and the Defense Department, but ULA believes it will also be able to price missions low enough to attract commercial launches.
| |
_(cropped).jpg) Vulcan Centaur in VC2S configuration ahead of its maiden flight | |
| Function | Heavy-lift launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | United Launch Alliance |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Cost per launch | US$110 million (starting)[1] |
| Size | |
| Height | Standard: 61.6 m (202 ft) Long: 67.3 m (221 ft)[2] |
| Diameter | 5.4 m (18 ft)[3] |
| Mass | 546,700 kg (1,205,300 lb) |
| Stages | 2 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | |
| Orbital inclination | 28.7° |
| Mass | 27,200 kg (60,000 lb)[4] |
| Payload to GTO | |
| Orbital inclination | 27° |
| Mass | 15,300 kg (33,700 lb)[4] |
| Payload to GEO | |
| Mass | 7,000 kg (15,000 lb)[4] |
| Payload to TLI | |
| Mass | 12,100 kg (26,700 lb)[4] |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Operational |
| Launch sites |
|
| Total launches | 2 |
| Success(es) | 2 |
| First flight | 8 January 2024[6] |
| Last flight | 4 October 2024 |
| Boosters – GEM-63XL | |
| No. boosters | 0, 2, 4, or 6[7] |
| Height | 21.98 m (865.3 in) |
| Diameter | 1.62 m (63.7 in) |
| Empty mass | 4,521 kg (9,966 lb) |
| Gross mass | 53,030 kg (116,920 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 47,853 kg (105,497 lb) |
| Maximum thrust | 2,061 kN (463,249 lbf) each |
| Total thrust | 12,364 kN (2,779,494 lbf) with 6 |
| Specific impulse | 280.3 s (2.749 km/s) |
| Burn time | 87.3 seconds[8] |
| Propellant | AP / HTPB / Al |
| First stage – Vulcan | |
| Height | 33.3 m (109 ft) |
| Diameter | 5.4 m (18 ft) |
| Empty mass | 28,600 kg (63,100 lb)[9] |
| Gross mass | 382,000 kg (842,000 lb)[9] |
| Powered by | 2 × BE-4 |
| Maximum thrust | 4,893 kN (1,100,000 lbf)[10] |
| Specific impulse | 320 s (3.1 km/s) sea level[9] / 340 s (3.3 km/s) vac.[11] |
| Burn time | 299 seconds[12][13] |
| Propellant | LOX / CH4 |
| Second stage – Centaur V | |
| Height | 12.6 m (41 ft)[14] |
| Diameter | 5.4 m (18 ft) |
| Empty mass | 3,200 kg (7,100 lb)[9] |
| Gross mass | 24,300 kg (53,600 lb)[9] |
| Powered by | |
| Maximum thrust |
|
| Specific impulse |
|
| Burn time | 1,077 seconds[10] |
| Propellant | LOX / LH2 |
ULA began development of the new launch vehicle in 2014, primarily to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and to comply with a Congressional mandate to phase out the use of the Russian-made RD-180 engine that powered the Atlas V. The first launch of the Vulcan Centaur was initially scheduled for 2019 but faced multiple delays due to developmental challenges with its new BE-4 first-stage engine and the Centaur second-stage.[18]
The Vulcan Centaur had a near perfect first launch on 8 January 2024 carrying the Peregrine lunar lander, the first mission of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Its second launch, a NSSL certification flight, took place on 4 October 2024, which achieved an acceptable orbital insertion, despite the nozzle on one of the GEM-63XL solid rocket boosters falling off which led to reduced, asymmetrical thrust. Following a five–month review of the launches, the Space Force certified the Vulcan for NSSL missions in March 2025.
Description
Summarize
Perspective
The Vulcan Centaur re-uses many technologies from ULA's Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles,[19] with an aim to achieve better performance and lower production costs. Also, unlike vertically integrated competitors like SpaceX and Blue Origin, ULA (itself a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin) relies heavily on subcontractors to build major components of the rocket.
The Vulcan's first stage shares a common heritage with the Delta IV's Common Booster Core.[10]: 1–5 It is built in the same Decatur, Alabama factory using much of the same manufacturing equipment, however it is about 0.3 meters (1 ft) larger in diameter. The most significant change in the first stage is its use of liquid methane (liquefied natural gas) as fuel in two BE-4 engines developed by Blue Origin.[20][21] Compared to the liquid hydrogen used on the Delta IV, methane is denser and has a higher boiling point, allowing for smaller, lighter fuel tanks. It also burns cleaner than the kerosene used in the Atlas V, reducing hydrocarbon buildup in engines, which would facilitate refurbishment under the proposed SMART reuse system.[22][23]
The rocket's second stage, the Centaur V, is an upgraded version of the Centaur III used on the Atlas V offering enhanced performance. It is powered by two RL10 engines from Aerojet Rocketdyne, fueled by liquid hydrogen.[24]
To further enhance payload capacity, the Vulcan Centaur can be equipped with up to six GEM 63XL SRBs (solid rocket boosters) from Northrop Grumman—a lengthened version of the GEM 63 SRBs used on the Atlas V.[7][25]
A single-core Vulcan Centaur with six SRBs delivers heavy-lift capabilities comparable to the larger and more expensive three-core Delta IV Heavy. With a single core and six GEM boosters, the Vulcan Centaur can lift 27,200 kilograms (60,000 lb) to low Earth orbit (LEO),[26] surpassing the Atlas V's maximum of 18,850 kg (41,560 lb) with a single core and five GEM boosters,[27] and approaching the 28,790 kg (63,470 lb) capacity of the three-core Delta IV Heavy.[28]
Beyond Gravity provides additional components, including the interstage adapter, payload fairing, and payload attachment fitting, which secures the payload and fairings to the second stage until commanded to release. The company also supplies a heat shield to protect equipment.[29]
Designed to meet the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program's requirements, the Vulcan Centaur is also designed to be capable of achieving human-rating certification, enabling it to carry crewed spacecraft such as the Boeing Starliner or Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser.[24][30][2]
History
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Perspective
Background
ULA decided to develop the Vulcan Centaur in 2014 for two main reasons. First, its commercial and civil customers were flocking to SpaceX's cheaper Falcon 9 reusable launch vehicle, leaving ULA increasingly reliant on U.S. military and spy agency contracts.[31][32] Second, Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 heightened Congressional discomfort with the Pentagon's reliance on the Atlas V, which used the made-in-Russia RD-180 engine. In 2016, Congress would pass a law barring the military from procuring launch services based on the RD-180 engine after 2022.[33]
In September 2018, ULA announced that it had picked the BE-4 engine from Blue Origin and fueled by liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid methane (CH4) to replace the RD-180 on a new first-stage booster.[34] The engine was already in its third year of development, and ULA said it expected the new stage and engine to start flying as soon as 2019.[35] Two of the 2,400-kilonewton (550,000 lbf)-thrust BE-4 engines were to be used on a new launch vehicle booster.[36][37][35]
A month later, ULA restructured company processes and its workforce to reduce costs. The company said that the successor to Atlas V would blend existing Atlas V and Delta IV with a goal of halving the cost of the Atlas V rocket.[32]
Announcement
In 2015, ULA announced the Vulcan rocket and proposed to incrementally replace existing vehicles with it.[38] Vulcan deployment was expected to begin with a new first stage based on the Delta IV's fuselage diameter and production process, and initially expected to use two BE-4 engines or the Aerojet Rocketdyne AR1 as an alternative. The second stage was to be the existing Centaur III, already used on Atlas V. A later upgrade, the Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage (ACES), was planned for introduction a few years after Vulcan's first flight.[38] ULA also revealed a design concept for reuse of the Vulcan booster engines, thrust structure and first stage avionics, which could be detached as a module from the propellant tanks after booster engine cutoff; the module would re-enter the atmosphere behind an inflatable heat shield.[39]
Funding
Through the first several years, the ULA board of directors made quarterly funding commitments to Vulcan Centaur development.[40] As of October 2018[update], the US government had committed about $1.2 billion in a public–private partnership to Vulcan Centaur development, with plans for more once ULA concluded a National Security Space Launch contract.[41]
By March 2016, the United States Air Force (USAF) had committed up to $202 million for Vulcan development. ULA had not yet estimated the total cost of development but CEO Tory Bruno said that "new rockets typically cost $2 billion, including $1 billion for the main engine".[40] In March 2018, Bruno said the Vulcan-Centaur had been "75% privately funded" up to that point.[42] In October 2018, following a request for proposals and technical evaluation, ULA was awarded $967 million to develop a prototype Vulcan launch system as part of the National Security Space Launch program.[41]
Development, production, and testing
In September 2015, it was announced BE-4 rocket engine production would be expanded[clarification needed] to allow more testing.[43] The following January, ULA was designing two versions of the Vulcan first stage; the BE-4 version has a 5.4 m (18 ft) diameter to support the use of the less dense methane fuel.[21] In late 2017, the upper stage was changed to the larger and heavier Centaur V, and the launch vehicle was renamed Vulcan Centaur.[42] In May 2018, ULA announced the selection of Aerojet Rocketdyne's RL10 engine for the Vulcan Centaur upper stage.[44] That September, ULA announced the selection of the Blue Origin BE-4 engine for Vulcan's first stage.[45][46] In October, the USAF released an NSSL launch service agreement with new requirements, delaying Vulcan's initial launch to April 2021, after an earlier postponement to 2020.[47][48]
In August 2019, the parts of Vulcan's mobile launcher platform (MLP) were transported[49] to the Spaceflight Processing Operations Center (SPOC) near SLC-40 and SLC-41, Cape Canaveral, Florida. The MLP was fabricated in eight sections and moves at 3 mph (4.8 km/h) on rail bogies, standing 183 ft (56 m) tall.[50] In February 2021, ULA shipped the first completed Vulcan core booster to Florida for pathfinder tests ahead of the Vulcan's debut launch.[51] Testing continued proceeded with the pathfinder booster throughout that year.[52][53]
In August 2019, ULA said Vulcan Centaur would first fly in early 2021, carrying Astrobotic Technology's Peregrine lunar lander.[54][55][37] By December 2020, the launch had been delayed to 2022 because of technical problems with the BE-4 main engine.[56][57] In June 2021, Astrobotic said Peregrine would not be ready on time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delaying the mission and Vulcan Centaur's first launch; further Peregrine delays put the launch of Vulcan into 2023.[58][14][59] In March 2023, a Centaur V test stage failed during a test sequence. To fix the problem, ULA changed the structure of the stage and built a new Centaur for Vulcan Centaur's maiden flight.[60] In October 2023, ULA announced they aimed to launch Vulcan Centaur by year's end.[61]
Certification flights
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On 8 January 2024, Vulcan lifted off for the first time. The flight used the VC2S configuration, with two solid rocket boosters and a standard-length fairing. A 4-minute trans-lunar injection burn followed by payload separation put the Peregrine lander on a trajectory to the Moon. One hour and 18 minutes into the flight, the Centaur upper stage fired for a third time, sending it into a heliocentric orbit to test how it would behave in long missions, such as those required to send payloads to geostationary orbit.[62][63]
A failure in the Peregrine's propulsion system shortly after separation prevented it from landing on the Moon; Astrobotic said the Vulcan Centaur rocket performed without problems.[64]
On 14 August 2019, ULA won a commercial competition when it was announced the second Vulcan certification flight would be named SNC Demo-1, the first of seven Dream Chaser CRS-2 flights under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services program. They will use the four-SRB VC4 configuration.[65] The SNC Demo-1 was scheduled for launch no earlier than April 2024.[66]
After Vulcan Centaur's second certification mission, the rocket will be qualified for use on U.S. military missions.[67] As of August 2020[update], Vulcan was to launch ULA's awarded 60% share of National Security Space Launch payloads from 2022 to 2027,[68] but delays occurred. The Space Force's USSF-51 launch in late 2022 was be the first national security classified mission, but in May 2021 the spacecraft was reassigned to an Atlas V to "mitigate schedule risk associated with Vulcan Centaur non-recurring design validation".[69] For similar reasons, the Kuiper Systems prototype flight was moved to an Atlas V rocket.[70]
After Vulcan's first launch in January 2024, developmental delays with the Dream Chaser led ULA to contemplate replacing it with a mass simulator so Vulcan could move ahead with the certification required by its Air Force contract.[71] Bloomberg News reported in May 2024 that United Launch Alliance was accruing financial penalties due to delays in the military launch contracts.[72] On 10 May, Air Force Assistant Secretary Frank Calvelli wrote to Boeing and Lockheed executives. "I am growing concerned with ULA's ability to scale manufacturing of its Vulcan rocket and scale its launch cadence to meet our needs", Calvelli wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Washington Post. "Currently there is military satellite capability sitting on the ground due to Vulcan delays."[73] In June 2024, Bruno announced that Vulcan would make its second flight in September with a mass simulator with some "experiments and demonstrations" to help develop future technology for the Centaur upper stage.[74]
Vulcan Centaur lifted off on the second of two flights needed to certify the rocket for future NSSL missions at 11:25 UTC on 4 October 2024. Approximately 37 seconds into the launch, the nozzle on one of the solid rocket boosters (SRB) fell off resulting in a shower of debris in the exhaust plume. Although the SRB continued to function for its full 90-second burn, the anomaly led to reduced, asymmetrical thrust. This caused the rocket to slightly tilt before the guidance system and main engines successfully corrected and extended their burn by roughly 20 seconds to compensate. Despite the anomaly, the rocket achieved an acceptable orbital insertion.[75][76]
The nozzle anomaly added to the already extensive process required to certify the Vulcan for NSSL missions. Following a five-month review, the Space Force certified the Vulcan on 26 March 2025.[77]
Versions and configurations
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Perspective
ULA has four-character designations for the various Vulcan Centaur configurations. They start with VC for the Vulcan first stage and the Centaur upper stage. The third character is the number of SRBs attached to the Vulcan—0, 2, 4 or 6—and the fourth denotes the payload-fairing length: S for Standard (15.5 m (51 ft)) or L for Long (21.3 m (70 ft)).[78] For example, "VC6L" would represent a Vulcan first stage, a Centaur upper stage, six SRBs and a long-configuration fairing.[78] The Vulcan Centaur with two or six SRBs is the standard offering, with the zero and four SRB variants offered on a mission-unique basis.[2]
Starting in late 2025, ULA plans to upgrade the Centaur upper stage with the RL10C-X engine which will have a fixed nozzle extension and offer slightly increased thrust and specific impulse, offering minor improvements to payload capacities.[16][2]
Capabilities
The payload capacity of Vulcan Centaur versions are:[79][2]
| Version | SRBs | Payload mass to... | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISS[b] | SSO[c] | MEO[d] | GEO[e] | GTO[f] | Molniya[g] | TLI[h] | TMI[i] | ||
| VC0 | 0 | 8,800 kg (19,400 lb) | 7,900 kg (17,400 lb) | 300 kg (660 lb) | — | 3,300 kg (7,300 lb) | 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) | 2,100 kg (4,600 lb) | — |
| VC2 | 2 | 16,300 kg (35,900 lb) | 14,400 kg (31,700 lb) | 3,800 kg (8,400 lb) | 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) | 8,300 kg (18,300 lb) | 6,200 kg (13,700 lb) | 6,200 kg (13,700 lb) | 3,600 kg (7,900 lb) |
| VC4 | 4 | 21,400 kg (47,200 lb) | 18,500 kg (40,800 lb) | 6,100 kg (13,400 lb) | 4,800 kg (10,600 lb) | 11,600 kg (25,600 lb) | 8,900 kg (19,600 lb) | 9,100 kg (20,100 lb) | 6,000 kg (13,000 lb) |
| VC6 | 6 | 25,600 kg (56,400 lb) | 22,300 kg (49,200 lb) | 7,900 kg (17,400 lb) | 6,300 kg (13,900 lb) | 14,400 kg (31,700 lb) | 10,600 kg (23,400 lb) | 11,300 kg (24,900 lb) | 7,600 kg (16,800 lb) |
| VC6 (upgrade)[j] |
6 | 26,900 kg (59,300 lb) | TBA | 8,600 kg (19,000 lb) | 7,000 kg (15,000 lb) | 15,300 kg (33,700 lb) | TBA | 12,100 kg (26,700 lb) | 7,600 kg (16,800 lb) |
- Notes
- Vulcan Centaur meets the heavy-lift capability of 20,000 kg to low Earth orbit when launching with certain booster configurations
- Characteristic energy C3 = −2 km2/sec2
These capabilities reflect NSSL requirements, plus room for growth.[4][80]
A Vulcan Centaur with six solid rocket boosters can put 27,200 kilograms (60,000 lb) into low Earth orbit, nearly as much as the three-core Delta IV Heavy.[24]
Launch history
2024
| Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 January 2024 07:18 |
Vulcan Centaur VC2S | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | Peregrine lander | 1,283 kg (2,829 lb) | TLI | Astrobotic Technology | Success[81] |
| Enterprise (space burial) | Heliocentric | Celestis | ||||||
| Maiden flight of Vulcan Centaur and Vulcan Centaur VC2S Configuration. Certification-1 mission, the first of two launches needed to certify the rocket for National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions. Payload from Celestis, demonstrated engine restart capability of the Centaur upper stage delivering multiple payloads to different orbits. The Peregrine payload failed in transit to the Moon, precluding a landing attempt, due to reasons unrelated to the launch vehicle.[82] | ||||||||
| 2 | 4 October 2024 11:25 |
Vulcan Centaur VC2S | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | Mass simulator | 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) | Heliocentric | United Launch Alliance | Success |
| Certification-2 mission, the second of two launches needed to certify the rocket for NSSL missions. Originally scheduled to carry the first flight of Dream Chaser; however, due to schedule delays with Dream Chaser, ULA flew a mass simulator with experiments and demonstrations of future Centaur V technologies.[83][84] Approximately 37 seconds into the launch, the nozzle on one of solid rocket boosters (SRB) fell off resulting in a shower of debris in the exhaust plume. Although the SRB continued to function for its full 90-second burn, the anomaly led to reduced, asymmetrical thrust. This caused the rocket to slightly tilt before the guidance system and main engines successfully corrected and extended their burn by roughly 20 seconds to compensate. Despite the anomaly, the rocket achieved nominal orbital insertion,[75][76] with the Space Force praising the launch and "the robustness of the total Vulcan system".[85] The nozzle anomaly was attributed to a manufacturing defect in a insulator located inside the nozzle.[86] | ||||||||
Future launches
Future launches are listed chronologically when firm plans are in place. The order of the later launches is much less certain.[87] Launches are expected to take place "no earlier than" (NET) the listed date.
2025
| Date / time (UTC)[87] | Rocket, configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q2 2025 | Vulcan Centaur VC4S | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-106 (NTS-3) | GSO | U.S. Space Force |
| USSF-106 mission.[88] Maiden flight of Vulcan Centaur VC4S Configuration.[89][90] First NSSL mission for Vulcan Centaur.[91] It will launch Navigation Technology Satellite 3 (NTS-3), an experimental spacecraft to test technologies for next-generation GPS satellites. | |||||
| Q2 2025 | Vulcan Centaur VC4S | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-87 (GSSAP 7 & 8) | GSO | U.S. Space Force |
| USSF-87 mission.[92] It will launch two identical Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness satellites, GSSAP-7 and 8, directly to a geosynchronous orbit.[93] | |||||
| Q3 2025 | Vulcan Centaur VC4L[90] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | SSC Demo-1 (Dream Chaser Tenacity) | LEO (ISS) | NASA (CRS) |
| First flight of Dream Chaser. Maiden flight of the Vulcan Centaur VC4L configuration. | |||||
| Q3 2025[94] | Vulcan Centaur VC2S | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E | SDA T1TR-B | LEO | SDA |
| Tranche 1 Tracking Layer B missile tracking satellites. | |||||
| Q3 2025[94] | Vulcan Centaur VC2S | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E | SDA T1TR-D | LEO | SDA |
| Tranche 1 Tracking Layer D missile tracking satellites. | |||||
| December 2025[95] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41[96] | NG-OPIR-GEO 1 (USSF-57) | GEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared satellite. | |||||
| Q4 2025[94] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E | USSF-114 | TBA | U.S. Space Force |
| Classified payload. | |||||
| 2025[97] | Vulcan Centaur VC4S | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-112 | TBA | U.S. Space Force |
| Classified payload. | |||||
| 2025[94] | Vulcan Centaur VC4 | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | NROL-64 | TBA | NRO |
| First NRO launch on Vulcan | |||||
| 2025[94] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E | NROL-83 | TBA | NRO |
| Classified NRO payload. First announced Vulcan Centaur launch from Vandenberg. | |||||
| 2025 | Vulcan Centaur VC2S[98] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | GPS III SV09[99] | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| First GPS mission for Vulcan Centaur. NSSL contract for FY2024. | |||||
| 2025[75] | Vulcan Centaur VC2S[98] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | GPS III SV10[99] | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| 2025[100] | Vulcan Centaur VC4 | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | PTS-P | GEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Protected Tactical Satcom prototype payload. The PTS payload will fly on dedicated Northrop Grumman built ESPAStar-HP satellite bus. | |||||
| 2025[97][101] | Vulcan Centaur VC2L | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | WGS-11 | GEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Military communications satellite. Maiden flight of the Vulcan Centaur VC2L configuration. | |||||
2026
| Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026[95] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41[96] | Missile Track Custody 1 (USSF-95) | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| First launch of Missile Track Custody satellites. | |||||
| Q4 2026[95] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E | SDA T2TL-B | LEO | SDA |
| Tranche 2 Transport Layer B missile tracking satellites. | |||||
2027
| Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | GPS IIIF-1[99] | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| First GPS Block IIIF navigation satellite. | |||||
| 2027 | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | GPS IIIF-2[99] | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Also designated USSF-49 under NSSL | |||||
TBD
| Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLT 2027[102][95] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41[96] | DRACO Demo (USSF-25) | LEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) is a DARPA program to demonstrate a working nuclear thermal rocket in space. | |||||
| TBD[95] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41[96] | NROL-56 | TBA | NRO |
| Classified NRO payload. | |||||
| TBD[95] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E[96] | NROL-73 | TBA | NRO |
| Classified NRO payload. | |||||
| TBD[95] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E[96] | NROL-100 | TBA | NRO |
| Classified NRO payload. | |||||
| TBD[95] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41[96] | NROL-109 | TBA | NRO |
| Classified NRO payload. | |||||
| TBD[95] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41[96] | Silentbarker 2A, 2B, 2C (NROL-118) | GEO | U.S. Space Force (NRO) |
| Classified USSF & NRO partnered program. | |||||
| TBD[95] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41[96] | STP-5 | LEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Two satellites for Department of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office[103] | |||||
| TBD[104] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-16 | TBA | U.S. Space Force |
| Classified payload. | |||||
| TBD[104] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-23 | TBA | U.S. Space Force |
| Classified payload. | |||||
| TBD[104] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-43 | TBA | U.S. Space Force |
| Classified payload. | |||||
| TBD[105] | Vulcan Centaur VC4L[90] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | SSC CRS-1 (Dream Chaser TBD) | LEO (ISS) | NASA (CRS) |
| Vulcan Centaur VC4L[90] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | SSC CRS-2 (Dream Chaser TBD) | LEO (ISS) | NASA (CRS) | |
| Vulcan Centaur VC4L[90] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | SSC CRS-3 (Dream Chaser TBD) | LEO (ISS) | NASA (CRS) | |
| Vulcan Centaur VC4L[90] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | SSC CRS-4 (Dream Chaser TBD) | LEO (ISS) | NASA (CRS) | |
| Vulcan Centaur VC4L[90] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | SSC CRS-5 (Dream Chaser TBD) | LEO (ISS) | NASA (CRS) | |
| 5 Dream Chaser launches on contract. | |||||
| TBD[106] | Vulcan Centaur VC6L[90] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | KuiperSat × 45 (KV-01 to KV-38) | LEO | Amazon (Kuiper Systems) |
| 38 Vulcan Centaur launches for Amazon's Project Kuiper. | |||||
Potential upgrades
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Perspective
ULA plans to continually improve the Vulcan Centaur. The company plans to introduce its first upgrades in 2025, with subsequent improvements occurring roughly every two to three years.[1]
Since 2015, ULA has spoken of several technologies that would improve the Vulcan launch vehicle's capabilities. These include first-stage improvements to make the most expensive components potentially reusable and second-stage improvements to allow the rocket to operate for months in Earth-orbit cislunar space.[107]
Long-endurance upper stages
The ACES upper stage—fueled with liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2) and powered by up to four rocket engines with the engine type yet to be selected—was a conceptual upgrade to Vulcan's upper stage at the time of the announcement in 2015. This stage could be upgraded to include Integrated Vehicle Fluids technology that would allow the upper stage to function in orbit for weeks instead of hours. The ACES upper stage was cancelled in September 2020,[38][108] and ULA said the Vulcan second stage would now be the Centaur V upper stage: a larger, more powerful version of the Dual Engine Centaur upper stage used by the Atlas V N22.[24][107] A senior executive at ULA said the Centaur V design was also heavily influenced by ACES.[24][109]
However, ULA said in 2021 that it is working to add more value to upper stages by having them perform tasks such as operating as space tugs. CEO Tory Bruno says ULA is working on upper stages with hundreds of times the endurance of those currently in use.[109]
SMART reuse
A method of main engine reuse called Sensible Modular Autonomous Return Technology (SMART) is a proposed upgrade for Vulcan Centaur. In the concept, the booster engines, avionics, and thrust structure detach as a module from the propellant tanks after booster engine cutoff. The engine module then falls through the atmosphere protected by an inflatable heat shield. After parachute deployment, the engine section splashes down, using the heat shield as a raft.[110] Before 2022, ULA intended to catch the engine section using a helicopter.[110] ULA estimated this technology could reduce the cost of the first-stage propulsion by 90% and 65% of the total first-stage cost.[39][110] Although SMART reuse was not initially funded for development,[107] from 2021 the higher launch cadence required to launch the Project Kuiper mega constellation provided support for the concept's business case.[111] Consequently, ULA has stated that it plans to begin testing the technology during its launches of the satellite internet constellation, with timing of the tests to be agreed upon with Amazon, the developer of Project Kuiper.[1]
Vulcan Heavy
In September 2020, ULA announced they were studying a "Vulcan Heavy" variant with three booster cores. Speculation about a new variant had been rampant for months after an image of a model of that version popped on social media. ULA CEO Tory Bruno later tweeted a clearer image of the model and said it was the subject of ongoing study.[24][112]
See also
References
External links
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