Private
consortium ULA successfully launched its Vulcan rocket from Cape Canaveral –
Mission aims to land on the moon
By
8 January 2024
On
Friday, Jan. 5, 2024, United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket carrying
Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander is rolled out of the Vertical Integration
Facility to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space
Force Station in Florida in advance of a planned lift off at 2:18 a.m. EST
Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One will carry NASA and
commercial payloads to the Moon to study the lunar exosphere, thermal
properties, and hydrogen abundance of the lunar regolith, magnetic fields, and
the radiation environment of the lunar surface © By NASA/Ben Smegelsky –
United
Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully launched its debut Vulcan rocket from Cape
Canaveral, culminating a decade-long effort to create a versatile rocket system
capable of handling various missions, from low-Earth orbit transport to
direct-to-geosynchronous orbit ventures. The Vulcan, surpassing the performance
of the Delta IV Heavy, represents the future of ULA, consolidating the
capabilities of their Atlas and Delta rockets into a single platform.
Powered by Blue Origin
BE-4 engines and Northrop Grumman solid rocket boosters, the Vulcan, drawing
heavily from the Atlas heritage, took off smoothly carrying Astrobotic’s lunar
lander. This mission, partly sponsored by NASA with experiments from various
entities, is slated to attempt a lunar landing in February.
The launch signifies
ULA’s shift towards a new vehicle to compete in the commercial space market and
reduce reliance on Russian rocket engines. The company offered initial Vulcan
missions at a considerable discount, showcasing its cost competitiveness
compared to its predecessors and competitors like SpaceX. ULA plans multiple
Vulcan missions in 2024 and an increased flight rate in 2025, aiming to
establish itself in the evolving space industry landscape.
SISTE
Private Peregrine moon lander suffers 'critical' fuel loss after launch, mission at risk
Peregrine likely won't be the first private spacecraft to touch down on the moon.
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