Horne stated the Space Force is nonetheless analyzing knowledge from the October 4 launch, however to date, officers anticipate to approve certification for the Vulcan rocket. An settlement between the Space Force and ULA requires two profitable flights of the Vulcan rocket earlier than the army will entrust it with a nationwide safety mission.
“For the needs of the certification plan, which requires that the certification flight ship the satellite tv for pc or payload—on this case, the mass simulator—to its specified orbit efficiently … that is what occurred,” Horne stated. “So this was a profitable completion of that mission.”
He added that early assessments by the Space Force present that, had the identical booster anomaly occurred on both of the primary two army missions slated to fly on Vulcan, the rocket might have nonetheless achieved an on-target orbit, with efficiency margin.
“So it was a profitable Cert flight, and now we’re knee deep in finalizing certification,” Horne stated.
Launch date TBD
But it might take somewhat longer than the Space Force or ULA deliberate to signal the ultimate paperwork to shut out the certification course of.
Engineers from ULA, the booster provider Northrop Grumman, the Space Force, the National Reconnaissance Office, and NASA are taking part within the inquiry into the nozzle malfunction. Last week, a ULA spokesperson instructed Ars the corporate recovered fragments of the nozzle that fell from the rocket close to the launch pad to help within the investigation.
“I feel, when of us zoom in on the video, they see thrust, scorching fuel burn-through, doubtlessly, within the backside of the rocket part,” Horne stated.
The second flight of ULA’s Vulcan rocket is on the way in which to orbit.
There was an uncommon plume from one of many strong rocket boosters, accompanied by slag or sparks, that appeared at about T+37 seconds.
However, ULA reported nominal efficiency from the early stage of the flight. pic.twitter.com/VewQyxfOdp
— Stephen Clark (@StephenClark1) October 4, 2024
Tory Bruno, ULA’s chief govt, posted on X shortly after the October 4 launch that preliminary findings advised the rocket casing itself didn’t endure a burn-through, which might enable super-hot fuel to escape the booster. However, there have been visible indications of a plume of scorching exhaust showing simply above the bell-shaped nozzle, probably close to the place it was bolted onto the booster’s principal physique.