United Launch Alliance plans to return Vulcan to flight on November 13 after a February booster nozzle anomaly. The mission is intended to carry Amazon communications satellites from Florida. Nozzle design and process changes will fly while testing continues, and the US Space Force wants commercial flight data before resuming sensitive military missions.
United Launch Alliance (ULA), the US launch company, is preparing Vulcan for a return to flight after a nine-month interruption. The company announced on 28 October that it is targeting 13 November. The rocket has remained out of service since a solid-booster nozzle anomaly in February. Its next mission is planned as a commercial satellite launch, with further testing and analysis continuing alongside the flight.[1], [2]
The February mission delivered its payloads despite the anomaly, but subsequent missions were put on hold. ULA says it identified potential contributors and changed the nozzle design and associated processes. Additional testing will continue rather than ending with the return announcement. The planned flight will carry 40 Amazon Leo communications satellites to low Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral in Florida, subject to launch-range approval.[1]
The US Space Force wants data from commercial Vulcan flights before restoring sensitive national-security missions. Ground tests and engineering analysis will contribute to that assessment alongside observations from flight. For the return mission, the planned vehicle uses six solid boosters, an extended payload fairing and a Centaur upper stage adapted for low-orbit work. The new nozzle has yet to acquire the flight evidence needed to assess the effectiveness of the changes.[1]
