ULA: Most Vulcan Systems Have Atlas or Delta Heritage

January 5, 2024Posted inAviation and Space News, United Launch Alliance, Vulcan
Graphic showing components of ULA Vulcan Centaur
Graphic: United Launch Alliance

In a press conference today leading up to the maiden launch of the ULA Vulcan in the early hours of Monday morning, ULA Vice President of Government and Commercial Programs Gary Wentz stated that the vast majority of the new rocket is either flight-proven or a variant of flight-proven hardware. He said that “the only hardware that hasn’t flown prior to this flight is the BE-4 engine. All the other or variants thereof have flown on Atlas or Delta flights, missions for other customers.”

Vulcan Rolled Out To Launch Pad, Set To Go Early Monday

January 5, 2024Posted inAviation and Space News, Space News, United Launch Alliance, Vulcan
ULA Vulcan on the pad
Vulcan on the launch pad at SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on January 8, 2023
Photo by TJ Waller / Florida Media Now

United Launch Alliance moved its new Vulcan rocket to the launch pad at SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force station this afternoon. Vulcan will make its maiden launch at 2:18 am EST Monday January 8. The latest forecasts call for an 85% chance of acceptable launch conditions weather-wise, leaving only a 15% Probability of Violation of weather criteria. That forecast will likely be updated by the 45th Weather Wing of the US Space Force as soon as tomorrow and is subject to change.

ULA’s Vulcan Passes Launch Readiness Review, Cleared for Flight

January 4, 2024Posted inSpace News, United Launch Alliance, US Space Force, Vulcan
ULA Centaur stacked atop Vulcan Booster
United Launch Alliance (ULA) hoists the Certification-1 (Cert-1) payloads atop the Vulcan rocket in the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) adjacent to Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Photo courtesy of United Launch Alliance.

United Launch Alliance announced today that they have concluded their Launch Readiness Review for the maiden launch of their Vulcan rocket and that the mission has been cleared to proceed to its planned liftoff at 2:18 am EST on Monday, January 8th. They also added that the weather at liftoff time currently has only a 15% Probability of Violation at launch time, meaning that forecasters are calling for an 85% chance of acceptable launch conditions. The new rocket will carry the Astrobiotics Peregrine lunar lander built under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program and a secondary payload of memorials for Celestis.

SpaceX Launches Ovzon 3 From Cape Canaveral

January 4, 2024Posted inSpace News, SpaceX
SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida on January 4, 2024. Photo: Charles Boyer
SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida on January 4, 2024. The missio n is carrying a powerful telecommunications satellite for the Swedish company Ovzon
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN

A SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying a telecommunications satellite for Swedish-American company Ovzon lifted off from Pad SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Station at 6:04pm EST this evening. After carrying its part of the mission, the booster used for the mission returned for a successful landing at Space-X’s Landing Zone 1 only a short distance away.

SpaceX Alumni Have Collectively Formed More Than 100 New Startups

December 18, 2023Posted inAviation, Aviation and Space News, Space News, SpaceX
Falcon 9 lifiting off from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center in 2023.
SpaceX Falcon Heavy carrying the NASA Psyche mission to orbit in 2023.
Photo: ©2023 TJ Waller / Florida Media Now.

Innovation is foundational at SpaceX, the California-based company founded by Elon Musk in 2002. Not only has the company written a veritable laundry list of firsts, bests and mosts, it has also served as a cradle for former employees to start their own high-tech firms. Several SpaceX alumni startups are prospering, while others are still developing products and preparing to enter the marketplace.

Vulcan Completes Wet Dress Rehearsal

December 14, 2023Posted inAviation and Space News, Space News, United Launch Alliance, Vulcan
The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Certification-1 (Cert-1) rocket sits atop Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance

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.

Looking For The Perfect Gift For The Space Aficionado In The Family?

December 8, 2023Posted inAviation and Space News, Florida News, History, Space News
This Rocketsyne S-3D rocket engine is for sale
1960 Rocketdyne S-3D engine for sale
Photo: Live Auctions

Christmas shopping can often seem like a thankless task for someone looking for that perfect gift for a friend or a loved one. If you have a space lover on your list, that can be even harder — what to buy for someone whose head is above the clouds? Fortunately, the folks at Live Auctioneers have put something up for auction that meets all those criteria: a fully restored Rocketdyne S-3D engine. If you have deep pockets, this might be just what you are looking for!

SpaceX Launches 125th Starlink Mission Late Saturday

December 3, 2023Posted inAviation and Space News, Florida News, Space News, SpaceX
A SpaceX Falcon 9 lofts another batch of Starlink Satellites to Orbit.
Timelapse of Falcon 9 Rising from Cape Canaveral Saturday, December 2, 2023
Photo by: Charles Boyer / FMN

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket on the company’s 125th Starlink mission Saturday night, and added another group of Starlink satellites into the growing constellation of over 5,500 small satellites that provide internet access globally for its customers.

Surfing Santas: A Free, Fun Family Christmas Event

December 1, 2023Posted inThings to Do and See in Florida
Surfin' Santa at Cocoa Beach, Florida
A Surfing Santa Out On The Waves.
Photo courtesy surfinsantas.org

Looking for something fun and different to ring in the holidays here in Florida? A free event in Cocoa Beach on Christmas Eve might be what you’re looking for: Surfing Santas Cocoa Beach is an annual that brings hundreds of surfers of all ages dressed up as Santa Claus to the beach and on top of the waves. Admission is free.

World’s Largest Cruise Ship Coming To Port Canaveral

December 1, 2023Posted inFlorida News
Artist's rendering of the completed Star of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship
Artist’s rendering of the Star of the Seas, World’s Largest Cruise Ship. Image courtesy Royal Caribbean

Cape Canaveral is well-known for its rocket launches, but the town is also the site of the world’s busiest cruise ship port — over four million passenger movements per year happen there, which slightly edges out Miami for the top spot. Soon, Port Canaveral will also be the home port of the world’s largest cruise ship — Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas is set to begin service there in July 2025.

Aerojet Rocketdyne To Boost RL10 Production in West Palm Beach

November 30, 2023Posted inAviation and Space News, Florida News, Space News, United Launch Alliance, Vulcan
An Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10C-X prototype engine undergoes hot-fire testing at Aerojet Rocketdyne’s facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3 Harris Technologies company.

Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, is planning to ramp up production of its latest variant of the venerable RL10 rocket engine at the company’s West Palm Beach, Florida facility. The company also plans to add staff at its South Florida facility to enable the higher pace of manufacturing the engine.