Tory Bruno, CEO of United Launch Alliance (ULA) has announced that the Wet Dress Rehearsal of the company’s new Vulcan booster was completed successfully on December 12, clearing the way for the rocket’s inaugural launch on Jan 8, 2024.
Bruno stated “[The WDR test] went great. The critical events we wanted to demonstrate happened nominally and on the timeline. [Vulcan] is now in the pipe for its first launch (CERT1) at the next lunar window on 8 January.”
This launch had been initially planned for December 24, but problems with ground systems during the first WDR forced ULA to take corrective actions and conduct a second test to evaluate and qualify the launch and flight systems of the new rocket.
Regarding the first dress rehearsal, Bruno said on December 10th that the “vehicle performed well. Ground system had a couple of (routine) issues, (being corrected). Ran the timeline long so we didn’t quite finish. I’d like a FULL WDR before our first flight, so XMAS eve is likely out. Next Peregrine window is 8 Jan.” That second full WDR test was the one conducted this week.
The payload for this mission is the Astrobiotics Technology Peregrine lunar lander. It is the company’s first foray to the Moon, and in fact, it is one of the first American lunar rovers ever sent to our closest neighbor in space. During the 1960s, when NASA was preparing to go to the moon, it sent landers and orbiters, but never a robotic rover. Peregrine aims to change that.
“It’s incredible to realize that we are just a short time away from our Peregrine spacecraft beginning its journey to the Moon,” John Thornton, Astrobotic CEO said in October, “After years of dedication and hard work, we are so close to having our moonshot. We invite you to follow along as Peregrine, with seven countries represented aboard, launches to the Moon and attempts one of the first successful landings of an American spacecraft since Apollo.”
Peregrine is carrying 21 payloads from governments, companies, universities, and NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Peregrine’s full manifest can be found at www.astrobotic.com/lunar-delivery/manifest/.
