First Vulcan Centaur Flight May Come on Christmas Eve
First Vulcan Centaur Flight May Come on Christmas Eve
First Certification Mission Planned for December 24, 2023
The first certification flight of the Vulcan Centaur rocket is being planned on Christmas Eve, according to a post on "X" from the company.
"ULA's #VulcanRocket first certification mission (#Cert1) is planned to launch on Sunday, Dec. 24, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida." the company said on the social media
The first Vulcan Centaur booster was shipped to Florida in January. Since then Vulcan has undergone a series of flight readiness verification tests including multiple tanking tests and a wet dress rehearsal, culminating in an engine flight readiness firing. Following the successful final testing, the payloads will be integrated, and the vehicle will be readied for launch.
In April, NASA's Launch Services Program (LSP) added the Vulcan Centaur to its Launch Services II (NLS) indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract in accordance with the on-ramp provision of NLS II. The NLS II on-ramp provision provides an opportunity for new and existing NLS II launch services providers to introduce new launch vehicles not currently on the NLS II contract. NLS II contractors must have the ability to successfully launch and deliver a payload to orbit using a domestic launch service capable of placing, at minimum, a 551 pound payload into a 124 mile circular orbit at an inclination of 28.5 degrees.
Vulcan Centaur is ULA's next-generation, innovative new launch vehicle that provides higher performance, greater affordability and multi-manifesting flexibility while continuing to deliver unmatched reliability. In 2020, ULA's Vulcan Centaur was competitively selected by the U.S. Space Force as the best value launch provider for 60 percent of the launches occurring through 2027.