ULA Vulcan Rocket prepares for Cert 2 mission

United Launch Alliance (ULA) started moving the Vulcan rocket toward Space Launch Complex-41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for the Cert 2 launch.

The company has made several changes to the launch site and infrastructure at SLC-41. During the first liftoff, Vulcan Rocket modified at SLC-41 a liquid natural gas farm, and increased fuel and oxidizer storage capacity. The space launch service provider has increased the acoustic water suppression system capacity. It upgraded Vertical Integration Facility-1 (VIF-1) platforms, decks, and cranes to support new upgrades made to Atlas V and Vulcan rockets.

Further modifications are underway to a second launch processing capability through an additional vulcan Launch platform (VLP-2) and Vertical Integration Facility (VIF-2). It will enable ULA to process two launch vehicles between both integration facilities.

United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Rocket (Image Source – ULA)

On January 8, 2024, ULA launched the first Vulcan rocket from Launch Complex-41 including two payloads – Astrobotic’s first Peregrine Lunar Lander, Peregrine Mission One (PM1). The second payload is an enterprise Celestis Memorial Spaceflights deep space Voyager mission.

Cert-1 was the first of the two certification flights required for the U.S. Space Force certification process. Back then, the rocket launch company announced Cert-2 for this year and a follow-up mission to support national security.

Vulcan has secure more than 70 launches by the end of last year including 38 missions for Amazon Project Kuiper satellites and national security space launches in the Phase 2 launch procurement.

Following the vehicle rollout, the company will conduct numerous pre-launch tests on the ship and assure vehicle readiness for the upcoming liftoff. Meanwhile, ULA has not shared an estimated time of launch for the Vulcan Cert 2 mission.

(Source)