
Enlarge / United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Certification-1 first stage sits atop House Launch Advanced-41 at Cape Canaveral House Drive Station, Florida for qualification testing. (credit score: ULA)
United Launch Alliance is closing in on the debut flight of the Vulcan rocket, and it stays on monitor to fly the automobile for the primary time on December 24.
Throughout a media roundtable on Wednesday afternoon, the chief government of United Launch Alliance, Tory Bruno, stated, “The trail to flight one is obvious” for Vulcan. The final main piece of {hardware} for the rocket, the Centaur V higher stage, arrived at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Monday. The entire qualification testing needed for the primary flight, together with for the higher stage, is full.
Within the coming days, Bruno stated the Centaur higher stage could be built-in with the Vulcan first stage. Then, the mixed automobile will probably be rolled to the launch website for a fueling take a look at referred to as a moist costume rehearsal in December. Nonetheless, the rocket’s essential engines, BE-4s offered by Blue Origin, is not going to be fired. That is as a result of the primary stage already accomplished this sizzling hearth take a look at efficiently in June.
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