Vulcan rocket return planned for 13 November with 40 Amazon satellites
United Launch Alliance plans to return its Vulcan rocket to flight on 13 November, after grounding it following a booster nozzle anomaly in February. The mission matters because ULA must rebuild confidence in the rocket, which the US Space Force relies on for national security launches, while Amazon is counting on it to deploy satellites for its Leo broadband network.
The launch from Cape Canaveral is set to carry 40 Amazon Leo satellites, using six solid rocket boosters with an improved nozzle design; the date remains subject to range approval. ULA says it has addressed several potential contributors to the anomaly, though the root cause has not been publicly identified. The Space Force has shifted six missions from Vulcan to SpaceX rockets to avoid delays, while assigning ULA six future missions originally allocated to SpaceX.
In short
- Vulcan is scheduled to return to flight on 13 November.
- Its mission will carry 40 Amazon Leo satellites.
- The Space Force has moved six launches to SpaceX.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A return on 13 November would show that ULA has responded to the nozzle anomaly and allow Vulcan to resume carrying important commercial and national security payloads. The improved nozzle design and changes to address potential contributors may offer a reasonable basis to proceed, while another delay could disrupt Amazon’s satellite deployment and weaken confidence in a launch provider the Space Force needs.
The case against
Proceeding before the root cause has been publicly identified may leave reasonable questions about whether the fixes address the failure and whether the rocket is ready for demanding missions. Given Vulcan’s role in national security launches and the availability of SpaceX to cover near-term missions, further investigation or additional checks could be justified even if that means delaying Amazon’s satellites and ULA’s return.
Explained simply
United Launch Alliance (ULA) is a US rocket company whose Vulcan rocket is designed to carry satellites into orbit. Its solid rocket boosters help provide extra thrust during launch. After a booster nozzle problem in February, the rocket was grounded while ULA investigated; the cause has not been made public.
The US Space Force uses rockets such as Vulcan to launch national security satellites. Amazon also plans to use Vulcan to put satellites for its Leo broadband network into orbit. The rocket’s return matters to both organisations, as well as to ULA’s efforts to establish Vulcan as a reliable launch option.
Culture Space Technology Travel
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Ars Technica as “ULA’s Vulcan rocket is set to return to flight on Friday the 13th”.