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.

New Vulcan Rocket Gets Dressed For Success

December 9, 2023Posted inFlorida Sports, Space News, United Launch Alliance, Vulcan
A pelican flies in front of ULA's Vulcan Rocket during wet dress rehearsal.
A pelican, oblivious to ULA’s new Vulcan rocket being fueled during a wet dress rehearsal, continues its flight plan undisturbed. Image by Richard P Gallagher

Cape Canaveral, FL. Yesterday’s wet dress rehearsal of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket was a significant event in the lead-up to its inaugural launch. The Vulcan rocket was rolled out to Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on December 6, 2023, in preparation for this extensive practice countdown​​​​.

NASA’s Ambitious Lunar Delivery Schedule: Over 40 Payloads by 2025

December 3, 2023Posted inAviation and Space News, Space News, United Launch Alliance, Vulcan
ULA Launch in December Will Herald New Era in US Space Program
Astrobotic Peregrine Lunar Lander
Artist rendering of Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lunar Lander. Credit: Astrobotic

Kennedy Space Center, FL – NASA’s ambitious plan to deliver over 40 payloads to the moon’s surface through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative marks a significant milestone in lunar exploration.

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.

ULA Announces Date for Vulcan Rocket Test

October 27, 2023Posted inSpace News, United Launch Alliance, Vulcan

A Vulcan booster’s engines are test fired in this undated photo. Photo: ULA

In a Tweet ( or should we say “X”) posted on Thursday, United Launch Alliance announced that they are targeting December 24th for the first launch of their new Vulcan booster. The announcement comes after months of delays due to technical issues. The Vulcan booster will replace ULA’s retiring Atlas V and Delta IV boosters.

Amazon’s Project Kuiper Takes Flight

October 6, 2023Posted inAtlas V, Space News, United Launch Alliance

‍A ULA Atlas V sends two test satellites to orbit for Amazon on Friday, October6. 2023. Photo by Mark Stone for FMN

       In the quest to bridge the digital divide and provide new global internet connectivity to underserved communities, Amazon has embarked on an ambitious venture known as Project Kuiper. This groundbreaking initiative aims to revolutionize satellite internet connectivity through the deployment of a vast constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).

Project Kuiper, spearheaded by Amazon, seeks to address the challenges of delivering broadband access to remote and underserved areas around the world. With the ultimate goal of providing fast, reliable, and affordable internet, Amazon plans to launch a total of 3,236 satellites into LEO. These satellites will form a constellation capable of delivering broadband connectivity to even the most remote corners of our planet.

United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches NROL-107 Silent Barker

September 13, 2023Posted inAtlas V, Space News, United Launch Alliance

BY: TJ WALLER

ULA NROL-107 Silent Barker Lift Off
ULA NROL-107 Silent Barker Lift Off

Introduction

In a significant achievement for the United States Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the United Launch Alliance (ULA) has successfully launched the NROL-107/SILENTBARKER mission; marking ULA’s 98th launch for national security. This joint national security mission was carried out by an Atlas V 551 rocket, adding another feather to ULA’s cap of 157 launches with a 100 percent success rate. The not-so-silent Silent Barker lifted off at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sunday, September 10, 2023 at 8:47 AM EDT, and drew an exceptionally large crowd of spectators, media and photographers all along the Space Coast!

America’s Newest Reconnaissance Satellite Launched

August 11, 2023Posted inDelta IV Heavy, Space News, United Launch Alliance, US Space Force
A ULA Delta IV Heavy creates a beautiful vapor ring as it climbs through the night sky. Photo by Mark Stone/FMN

By Mark Stone

United Launch Alliance, a private spaceflight contractor, successfully sent a classified government satellite into orbit on Thursday, June 22, 2023. The launch came one day after a delay due to a faulty piece of ground equipment. The mission to deploy the satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office finally lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) Launch Complex 37 at 5:18 AM EDT.

 The mission, NROL-68, carries a crucial national security satellite that will provide vital information from space to America’s government officials, intelligence analysts, and military. The US government says the satellite will also be used to support worldwide humanitarian missions. Even though the exact type and capabilities of the satellite are unknown, some observers believe the launch configuration of the Delta IV rocket suggests an Orion class satellite. Orion spy satellites are the newest class of signal-gathering intelligence satellites and are among the largest in orbit. The main antenna of an Orion-class satellite spans the length of a football field.