ULA is preparing for the second flight of its new Vulcan-Centaur rocket, a mission needed to complete certification ahead of service for the U.S. military.
The mission is intended to complete certification of the two-stage rocket by the U.S. Space Force for national security missions beginning by year’s end.
The ULA Vulcan-Centaur rocket being prepared to fly a dual-purpose mission this fall arrived at Cape Canaveral on June 24 ahead of a planned September launch.
The U.S. Space Force has selected Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance (ULA), and SpaceX as the three service providers for Phase 3 of the NSSL program.
ULA has resolved a ground support system problem that scotched a June 1 launch attempt of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard an Atlas V rocket.
A second attempt to launch two astronauts on a shakedown cruise of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft was called off 3 min. 50 sec. before liftoff on June 1.