The highly anticipated maiden flight of the ULA Vulcan rocket has been delayed. During the qualification tests, a hydrogen leak destroyed a Centaur upper stage.
The March incident prompted United Launch Alliance (ULA) to implement a fix. And Vulcan’s inaugural launch will be pushed back to the latter part of this year.
ULA CEO Tory Bruno provided insights into the March 29 failure and the remedial measures being undertaken to ensure the rocket’s success.
The BE-4 first stage engines of United Launch Alliances’ first Vulcan rocket were successfully test-fired on June 7 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This was a major milestone on the road to the rocket’s maiden flight.
The Vulcan rocket, developed by ULA, is set to replace the Delta 4 and Atlas 5 rockets. With American-made engines. The Vulcan offers enhanced cost-efficiency compared to its predecessors.
The beta testing revealed a weak laser weld between two triangular panels forming the dome’s structure. The structural issues coupled with the pressure push caused a failure in the qualification tests.
ULA Vulcan rocket being fixed
The engineers have been redesigning and extensively testing all components, including the booster. Everything is fully qualified, except for the structure of the Centaur 5.
