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United Launch Alliance Advances with Vulcan Rocket for Military Missions
The United Launch Alliance (ULA) has commenced the assembly of its upcoming Vulcan rocket, which is set to be the first to carry a payload for the U.S. military. This development comes as the Space Force gears up to certify this rocket for launching some of the Pentagon’s most critical national security satellites.
Certification Process and Expectations
Officials from the Space Force are optimistic about granting approval for ULA’s Vulcan rocket to undertake military operations without necessitating an additional test flight. This confidence persists despite encountering an unusual issue during the second demonstration flight earlier this month.
Test Flights Overview
To date, ULA has conducted two test flights of its Vulcan rocket. Military representatives closely monitored these launches, collecting essential data needed to officially validate that the rocket meets reliability standards required for national security missions. The inaugural test flight in January, known as Cert-1, was executed nearly flawlessly. However, during the second test flight on October 4—designated Cert-2—an anomaly occurred involving one of Vulcan’s solid rocket boosters; it lost its exhaust nozzle but continued operating with reduced thrust capabilities.
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