NGLS – Spaceflight Now

Northrop Grumman looking into dramatic nozzle anomaly on Omega rocket motor

May 30, 2019 William Harwood

Near the end of a ground-shaking test firing of Northrop Grumman’s solid-propellant Castor 600 rocket motor — the first stage of a new booster being designed to launch spy satellites and other national security payloads — a major part of the rocket’s big nozzle appeared to break apart, littering the test site with shards of debris.

Reviewers approve early design work on new Vulcan rocket

March 24, 2016 Justin Ray

Work to create a new all-American rocket, the United Launch Alliance Vulcan-Centaur, has passed its first major hurdle for its first flight in three years, officials announced Thursday.

ULA needs commercial customers to close Vulcan rocket business case

April 22, 2015 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance will need to lure commercial customers to ensure the economic viability of its new Vulcan rocket, which is set to debut in 2019 just as the rate of U.S. military satellite launches is due to take a dip.

ULA sees clean handover of Boeing crew launches to Vulcan rocket

April 18, 2015 Justin Ray

United Launch Alliance vows a “seamless” switch from the Atlas 5 to the new Vulcan rocket in launches of Boeing’s astronaut taxis.

Certification process begins for Vulcan to carry military payloads

April 16, 2015 Justin Ray

The heavy-lift version of the United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan rocket will sell for half the price of today’s Delta 4-Heavy and a third of the price tag for the previous Titan 4, while offering a substantial increase in performance for nation’s largest defense spacecraft.

ULA gets futuristic

April 16, 2015 Justin Ray

United Launch Alliance revealed its visionary approach to space exploration in the next decade courtesy of the Vulcan rocket’s new, long-duration upper stage that can be fitted with as many as four engines to perform cargo resupply and astronaut transportation to far-flung destinations.

ULA chief explains reusability and innovation of new rocket

April 14, 2015 Justin Ray

United Launch Alliance will salvage the main engines through a mid-air recovery plan and reuse them again aboard the company’s new Vulcan rocket, saving 90 percent in booster propulsion costs, the company announced Monday.

Video: Animation of Vulcan launch

April 13, 2015 Justin Ray

This animation depicts United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan rocket blasting off.

Artwork: ULA Vulcan rocket revealed

April 13, 2015 Justin Ray

These are artist’s concepts and press conference briefing slides from the United Launch Alliance unveiling of its new Vulcan rocket to debut in 2019.

ULA unveils its future with the Vulcan rocket family

April 13, 2015 Justin Ray

Meet the Vulcan, the next-generation rocket family brought to you by United Launch Alliance that comes with a bold reusability plan, multiple configurations for medium- to heavy-lift, all-American engines and serves as the eventual replacement for the historic Atlas and Delta rocket lines.