After nozzle failure, Space Force is “assessing” impacts to Vulcan schedule

Horne mentioned the House Power remains to be analyzing information from the October 4 launch, however thus far, officers count on to approve certification for the Vulcan rocket. An settlement between the House Power 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 mentioned. “So this was a profitable completion of that mission.”

He added that early assessments by the House Power present that, had the identical booster anomaly occurred on both of the primary two army missions slated to fly on Vulcan, the rocket may 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 mentioned.

Launch date TBD

Nevertheless it may take slightly longer than the House Power or ULA deliberate to signal the ultimate paperwork to shut out the certification course of.

Engineers from ULA, booster provider Northrop Grumman, the House Power, the Nationwide Reconnaissance Workplace, and NASA are collaborating within the inquiry into the nozzle malfunction. Final week, a ULA spokesperson informed Ars the company recovered fragments of the nozzle that fell from the rocket close to the launch pad to assist within the investigation.

“I believe, when of us zoom in on the video, they see thrust, scorching gasoline burn-through, doubtlessly, within the backside of the rocket part,” Horne mentioned.

The second flight of ULA’s Vulcan rocket is on the best way 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.

Nevertheless, 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 government, posted on X shortly after the October 4 launch that preliminary findings recommended the rocket casing itself didn’t endure a burn-through, which might enable super-hot gasoline to flee the booster. Nevertheless, 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 essential physique.