ULA on schedule for maiden flight of Vulcan in early 2021
Capitalism in space: According to ULA, the development program for its new Vulcan rocket remains on schedule, and will make its maiden flight in early 2021 as initially planned.
The launch will send Astrobotic’s privately built Peregrine lander to the Moon, carrying NASA science instruments.
The article provides a good overview not only of the status of construction, but also the political history that forced the development of Vulcan, that being the insistence by Congress that ULA stop using Russian engines in its rockets.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Capitalism in space: According to ULA, the development program for its new Vulcan rocket remains on schedule, and will make its maiden flight in early 2021 as initially planned.
The launch will send Astrobotic’s privately built Peregrine lander to the Moon, carrying NASA science instruments.
The article provides a good overview not only of the status of construction, but also the political history that forced the development of Vulcan, that being the insistence by Congress that ULA stop using Russian engines in its rockets.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
“Vulcan can be assembled in less than 10 months…”
Geez! What are they doing, hand-machining every fastener and panel??
It wouldn’t be that bad if they were at least re-using the darn things. And don’t get me started on their use of solid boosters.
With that news, it looks like Blue Origin’s BE-4 engine will fly well before the New Glenn rocket. At least they’ll get some good test data before their own maiden flight.
V-Man,
You may enjoy this video about the making of ULA rockets (pre-Vulcan era).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0fG_lnVhHw (an hour)
Fasteners are not the long lead time items.
Methane and BE-engines are surely improvements. It seems it will be able to launch anything that the shuttle or Delta IV Heavy could, which should fit the military’s requirements. But one wonders how anything will be able to compete with SpaceX. They aren’t even using the modularity that the Soviets and Russians like, with their Energia/Zenith/Buran and Angara1/3/5/7 concepts.
Thanks for the link, Edward!