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Building on a history of launch success and introducing
advanced new technologies, United Launch Alliance�s (ULA) Vulcan-Centaur rocket
is transforming the future of space launch including the commercial satellite
market.
�The Vulcan-Centaur provides our customers with greater affordability and flexibility.
This new rocket enables us to launch the entire market segment for all sizes
of satellites from large government and commercial satellites to small satellites�,said
Tory Bruno, President and CEO of ULA.
The Vulcan-Centaur is a 5.4 meter diameter, two stage, liquid fueled
rocket. The booster is powered by a pair of BE-4
engines burning liquefied natural gas (LNG) and
liquid oxygen, and together producing 1.1 million pounds of thrust at liftoff.
Performance can be tailored to meet mission requirements by adding two, four
or six solid rocket boosters GEM 63XL
increasing the maximum thrust to 3.8 million pounds.
Centaur is a high energy, upper stage that is capable of multiple restarts and
long duration missions. It is a liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen-fueled vehicle
and is powered by RL-10C engines.
Approximately 90 percent of the major components and systems derive their design
heritage from Atlas and Delta and, in many cases, are currently flying on these
vehicles.
Some of the systems currently flying include the complete avionics suite, the
RL-10C upper stage engine and the large composite payload fairing.
The increased performance and on-orbit capabilities of Vulcan-Centaur enable
direct insertion to multiple orbits including geostationary as well as the ability
to dual and triple manifest GEO communications satellites.
Currently in production, the Vulcan-Centaur provides an opportunity to improve
upon the proven reliability of Atlas V and Delta IV rockets originally designed
two decades ago.
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The NGLS Vulcan
is a new space launcher under development by ULA (United Launch Alliance) to
replace both the Atlas-V and Delta-IV families.
The first step in the developing is developing a new first stage featuring the
methane-fueled BE-4 engine by Blue Origin. ULA is also working with Aerojet
Rocketdyne on the AR-1 engine, in case the BE-4 runs into delays. ULAs first
choice is the BE-4 but that it continues to fund the AR-1 work as a backup option,
and that ULA will make a final decision on in 2016.
In addition to the new engine, the Vulcans first stage would feature a stretch
version of the tank used on ULAs Delta-IV rocket, which the company is phasing
out in 2018 because it is too expensive. The second stage of the initial Vulcan
version, slated to debut around 2019, would feature the same Centaur upper stage
and fairing now used on the Atlas-V.
The Vulcan could be augmented by up to six solid rocket boosters, giving it
greater lift capability than the largest version of the Atlas-V. ULA plans to
issue a request for proposals within the next 12 months for the large boosters,
which would likely be built by either Orbital ATK (GEM-63XL) or Aerojet Rocketdyne.
The next step in Vulcans evolution is a new upper stage known as the Advanced
Cryogenic Evolved Stage, or ACES, which could be able to operate in space for
weeks at a time. This would open up a whole new range of missions to the Vulcan.
The ACES stage would have anywhere from one to four cryogenic engines, depending
on the mission. The candidate engines are: A new variant of the RL-10 produced
by Aerojet Rocketdyne and currently used on both the Atlas-V and Delta-IV; Blue
Origins BE-3U; and a piston-pump engine being jointly developed with XCOR aerospace.
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