Vulcan succeeds in its first flight, but Peregrine fails

For those with A interest In THE history of space flight, January 8th promised has be A pretty exciting day. Those WHO listening In THE early Morning live flow were look Before has seeing THE First of all flight of THE Vulcan Centaur, A completely new heavy transport amplifier developed by United Launch Alliance. But as outstanding as THE inaugural assignment of A rocket could be below normal circumstances, This A was particularly special as he was wearing Pilgrim — together has be THE First of all American spatialship has together down on THE lunar surface Since THE END of THE Apollo program In 1972.

Experience has taught We that space flight East hard, And First of all attempts has he doubly SO. THE probability of both Vehicles perform as expected And accomplish all of their assignment goals was enough remote has to start with, but you have obtained has to start somewhere. Even In THE event of A complete failure, precious data East collection And real world experience East won.

NOW, more that 24 hours later, were departure has get that data back And discovery out What did And doesn't work. There is has been a few disappointment For Of course, but When All East said And do, THE needle certainly moved In THE RIGHT direction.

From their training In 2006, United Launch Alliance (ULA) has maintained A 100% assignment success rate between their primary rockets, THE Atlas V And Delta IV. While there were always cheaper mounted has space, notably on Russia Soyuz rocket, ULA became known as THE launch supplier You selected if You absolutely had has get your payload In space.

But by THE early 2010s, he was clear THE commercial launch walk was changing. Not only was he far cheaper has fly on THE Falcon 9, but EspaceX was launch them has (When compared with has THE cut off players) A surprising rate. While their legacy rockets always had THE edge In reliability, to guarantee ULA certain high profile payloads, he was clear they necessary has develop A cheaper And more agile rocket has stay competitive.

In addition, THE continued to use of THE Russian RD-180 rocket engines that powered THE Atlas V were become A policy responsibility. SO In 2014, THE decision was do has take all THE awareness And experience won while Operating THE Atlas And Delta And combine that In A new amplifier: Vulcan Centaur.

He was hoped that THE rocket, A combination of THE all new Vulcan First of all scene And A evolved version of ULA Centaur III second scene, could be flying as Soon as 2019. But THE program suffered several delays due has THE Slow down that expected development of It is BE-4 engines by Jeff Bezos Blue Origin. Plans has TO DO THE system partially reusable, similar has SpaceX Falcon 9, were Also delayed indefinitely In order has get THE program operational earlier.

While A blast during THE essay of THE Centaur superior scene In March of 2023 did push THE date of THE the rocket inaugural flight out has 2024, THE January 8th launch apparently went disabled without A coupling — A even more impressive feat When You consider that THE BE-4 engines are powered by liquid methane And liquid oxygen, A combination familiarly known as methalox, which had Never with success has been used by A American orbital rocket previously. Other methalox Vehicles Since THE WE, such as SpaceX Spatialship Or THE Relativity Space Earthling 1, to have stolen but to have failed has reach Or...