On Friday, United Launch Alliance (ULA) launched the new Vulcan Centaur rocket’s second and final certification mission. With prices similar to those offered by SpaceX to NASA and the Pentagon, the Vulcan program represents a crucial opportunity for Boeing and Lockheed Martin to remain competitive in the launcher sector. Alternatively, they could potentially sell ULA at a good price.
Second Vulcan test launch. The CERT-2 mission took place at 5:30 a.m. ET / 3:30 a.m. PT from the Space Force’s SLC-41 pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida on Friday. The launch was streamed live on YouTube.
Originally intended to carry Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spacecraft, the mission now proceeded without a payload, with ULA covering the costs internally. The Centaur V, the upper stage of the Vulcan rocket, used the flight to perform a series of technical demonstrations, concluding with an escape trajectory from Earth into a heliocentric orbit.
Vulcan Centaur’s strategic importance. The primary goal of the second and final certification mission is to confirm the rocket’s reliability in launching the most critical U.S. military satellites. The initial test occurred in January and marked the Vulcan as the first methane rocket to reach orbit successfully on its first attempt.
The Vulcan rocket is designed to replace ULA’s Atlas V and Delta IV launchers and is meant to transport the most expensive U.S. satellites, which are considered crucial for national security. This is all achieved at a more affordable and sustainable price compared to its predecessors, which had lost their competitive edge against SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy offerings.
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and ULA. ULA is a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which were major players in the U.S. aerospace industry until the emergence of SpaceX. ULA has a long history in rocket manufacturing and launching. However, it has been slow to keep up with the times.
ULA has been the primary contractor for the U.S. government, launching satellites for the Department of Defense, NASA, and other agencies. These satellites included Boeing’s Delta IV and Lockheed Martin’s Atlas V. The cost of launching satellites with ULA, particularly using the Delta IV Heavy, was as high as $400 million. However, this price tag became meaningless when SpaceX proved itself to be a reliable alternative (and sued the government for reportedly favoring ULA).
ULA’s re-emergence. If the second Vulcan test flight is successful, ULA could begin conducting operational missions for the Space Force by the end of the year. ULA has secured contracts for 25 military cargo launches for the National Reconnaissance Office and 70 launches for the Space Force, NRO, and Amazon’s Kuiper satellite network.
Notably, the price ULA is offering is competitive with SpaceX’s pricing despite the fact that the ULA rocket is only partially reusable, with only its engines being recoverable. The Space Force has awarded 21 launch contracts worth $2.5 billion, with SpaceX winning 10 launches for $1.2 billion and ULA securing 11 launches for $1.3 billion.
Jeff Bezos almost bought ULA. Despite its developments, ULA has been up for sale for some time. Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company, initially considered in purchasing ULA but eventually lost interest. Blue Origin supplies ULA with the BE-4 engines for the Vulcan Centaur. However, it also has its own rocket, the New Glenn, which is preparing for its first flight.
According to Reuters, Sierra Space is now the main interested party in buying ULA. The potential sale price is estimated to be between $2 billion and $3 billion. It’s worth noting that Boeing and Lockheed Martin attempted to sell ULA in 2019 but were unsuccessful.
The “other Elon Musk.” If the Vulcan rocket proves successful, ULA could potentially compete with SpaceX or be sold at a good price. The individual credited with turning ULA around is Tory Bruno, who took over as the company’s leader in 2014 to address competition from SpaceX.
Bruno is well-liked and charismatic and has had several encounters with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. However, his future role within the company, should it be sold, remains uncertain.
Image | United Launch Alliance
View 0 comments