Vulcan

United Launch Alliance received an $86,200,000 award to demonstrate a smart propulsion cryogenic system using the Centaur upper stage of its Vulcan rocket, including tank-to-tank propellant transfer and multi-week cryogenic storage.

The Vulcan launch vehicle is scheduled to start flying in 2021 and will launch at least two commercial payloads before it is cleared to launch military satellites in 2022.

Astrobotic selected United Launch Alliance to launch its Peregrine lunar lander on the first flight of ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket in 2021.

United Launch Alliance is developing the Vulcan Centaur rocket to replace the Atlas 5 and the Delta 4.

A second BE-4 engine was in transit to ULA’s factory, and two flight BE-4 engines for Vulcan’s main booster will be delivered soon.

United Launch Alliance is developing the Vulcan rocket for the Phase 2 competition with a planned first flight in 2021.

If delayed, Ariane 6 would join United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket and Blue Origin’s New Glenn in encountering setbacks that pushed their maiden flights to 2021 instead of 2020.

Astrobotic received a CLPS task order in May 2019 to fly the Peregrine lander and plans to launch Peregrine in 2021 on the first flight of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket.

Blue Origin expects to qualify the BE-4 engine in 2020 and to ship some engines to United Launch Alliance for integration into Vulcan in 2020.

United Launch Alliance selected Orbital ATK as its exclusive supplier of solid boosters for the Atlas 5 rocket and for the Vulcan launch vehicle in 2015.

Two BE-4 engines will be used on the first stage of ULA’s Vulcan rocket and seven BE-4 engines will be used on the reusable first stage of New Glenn.

Three development contracts were awarded in October 2018 to mature the designs of Vulcan, New Glenn, and OmegA.

The GEM-63 engine is used on both United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan and Northrop Grumman’s OmegA, creating intertwined engine risks.

ULA’s reuse plan unveiled in 2015 involves using parafoils and helicopters to capture Vulcan’s first-stage engines midair.

ULA originally anticipated using Vulcan ACES to replace the Delta IV Heavy, which is scheduled to retire in 2023 or 2024.

SNC planned to fly Dream Chaser to Florida for final preparations for a first mission slated to launch no earlier than September 2021 on one of the first flights of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket.

United Launch Alliance is developing the Vulcan Centaur rocket and is offering it to the U.S. Air Force in its proposal for the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 Launch Service Procurement.

The first Dream Chaser cargo mission is scheduled to launch on a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket no earlier than September 2021.