Vulcan
ULA selects Aerojet to provide Vulcan upper stage engine
United Launch Alliance has picked Aerojet Rocketdyne’s RL10 engine to power the upper stage of its next-generation Vulcan rocket, the second such contract Aerojet has secured in as many months.
ULA to focus more attention on commercial launch market
United Launch Alliance plans to increase its activities in the commercial launch market using both the current Atlas and future Vulcan rockets, while acknowledging that the U.S. government will remain its major customer for the foreseeable future.
BE-4 engine tests continue as ULA waits to make Vulcan engine decision
As Blue Origin continues tests of its BE-4 engine, United Launch Alliance is keeping quiet about when it might select that engine or an alternative for its Vulcan rocket.
ULA taps L3 for Vulcan rocket avionics
United Launch Alliance today selected L3 Technologies to provide avionics and related services for the its next-generation Vulcan rocket.
ULA feels no schedule pressure to select Vulcan engine
The chief executive of United Launch Alliance said Nov. 9 that he doesn’t feel any urgency to select a main engine for his company’s next-generation Vulcan rocket, despite an impending deadline for an Air Force launch competition.
Blue Origin shows interest in national security launches
The new chief executive of Blue Origin told the National Space Council his company is in discussions about certifying its New Glenn rocket for government missions, a shift in strategy that could put the company in competition with a customer.
AR1 rocket R&D costs reach $228 million
Research and development (R&D) costs for the AR1 rocket from the program’s inception through June 30 have reached about $228 million, according to recent Security Exchange Commission (SEC) filings by Aerojet Rocketdyne, the engine's manufacturer.
Loser of ULA’s Vulcan engine downselect will likely lose Air Force funding
Air Force leaders didn't definitively say if they'll cut off funding, but said they're more interested in launch services than engines.
Bruno: Vulcan engine downselect is Blue’s to lose
United Launch Alliance is prepared to select Blue Origin’s BE-4 engine for its Vulcan launch vehicle this year if the engine passes an upcoming series of tests, the company’s chief executive said April 5.
Lockheed Martin halts Athena effort, plans some Atlas 5 overlap with Vulcan
Lockheed Martin has ended its effort to return a small-to-medium-lift launch vehicle to market, and plans to keep the Atlas 5 rocket in flight concurrently with United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket for the first five years of operations.
Lawmakers press Air Force for decision on engine for ULA’s Vulcan rocket
In a letter, the representatives said the service should not provide funding for ULA's development of Vulcan unless it has "full access, oversight of, and approval rights over decision-making."
ULA, Air Force agree on Vulcan rocket certification process
United Launch Alliance and the U.S. Air Force signed an agreement Sept. 27 that will guide the military's certification of the Vulcan rocket ULA is developing as the successor to its Atlas 5 and Delta 4 launchers.
Ruag to make payload fairings for ULA’s Vulcan
Swiss manufacturer Ruag Space will build composite payload fairings for United Launch Alliance’s future Vulcan launch vehicle at ULA’s Alabama plant, the companies announced April 12.
ULA Touts Mid-air Recovery as More Cost-effective than SpaceX’s Reusability Plan
United Launch Alliance says reuse of its future Vulcan rocket’s first-stage engines — featuring an inflatable hypersonic decelerator to protect the engines on atmospheric reentry, then a parafoil to glide them into position for a mid-air pickup by helicopter — is far more cost-effective than SpaceX’s planned recovery and reuse of the Falcon rocket’s entire first stage.
