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Vulcan
Vulcan-Centaur VC2S (Peregrine) [ULA] |
Vulcan-Centaur VC4L (Peregrine) [ULA] |
Vulcan-Centaur VC6L [ULA] |
The Vulcan launch system, provisionally called NGLS (NGLS), is a replacement under development by ULA (United Launch Alliance) to replace both the Atlas-5 and Delta-4 families.
The vehicle familiy is built on the base vehicle core featuring 5 m diameter tankage inherited from the Delta-4 and a LOX / LNG fueled propulsion system using two Blue Origin built BE-4 engines. The basic stage can be enhanced by two, four or six GEM-63XL solid motors manufactured by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems (NGIS) (formerly Orbital ATK).
Initally Stage 1 will be expendable. Later the Sensible, Modular, Autonomous Return Technology (SMART) initiative might be introduced, which allows ULA to reuse the most expensive portion of the first stage – the booster main engines – via mid-air capture. This allows a controlled recovery environment providing the confidence needed to re-fly the hardware.
Initially the 3.05 m diameter Centaur-3 upper stage of Atlas-5 was to be used with 4 m and 5 m fairings. In early 2018, it was decided to skip these versions.
The initial Vulcan versions will now feature a 5.4 meters diameter Centaur-5 stage, featuring two RL10C-1 engines. After Centaur-5 an improved variant, Centaur-5+, will be introduced with an engine upgrade in a 2 engine configuration. A Centaur-5+Long will be implemented later, which will support 170klb of propellants and is not yet decided if it is to use two or four engines.
Finally, the Centaur second stage was originally be replaced by the more powerful ACES in 2023, which shares the tooling with Centaur-5. With the addition of ACES, Vulcan will achieve the current capability of the Delta-4 Heavy, which carries the largest payloads for the most critical customers. ACES will feature initially one to four RL10 engines, later to be downselected to BE-3U or XCOR engines. Later ACES was shelved and many features were incorporated in Centaur-5.
Vulcan Centaur-5 and Vulcan ACES will use 5 m payload fairings.
The Atlas-5 launch pads, SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral AFB and SLC-3E at Vandenberg AFB, will be modified to launch the Vulcan-boosters.
The maiden launch was planned for 2021, but had been delayed to January 2024.
| Launch Vehicle | Strap-On | Stage 1 | Stage 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vulcan Centaur VC0 | - | Vulcan / 2 × BE-4 | Centaur-5 / 2 × RL10C-1 |
| Vulcan Centaur VC2 | 2 × GEM-63XL | Vulcan / 2 × BE-4 | Centaur-5 / 2 × RL10C-1 |
| Vulcan Centaur VC4 | 4 × GEM-63XL | Vulcan / 2 × BE-4 | Centaur-5 / 2 × RL10C-1 |
| Vulcan Centaur VC6 | 6 × GEM-63XL | Vulcan / 2 × BE-4 | Centaur-5 / 2 × RL10C-1 |
| Vulcan Centaur-Upgrade | 6 × GEM-63XL | Vulcan / 2 × BE-4 | Centaur-5+ / 2 × RL10C-X |
| Performance (kg) | LEO | LPEO | SSO | GTO | GEO | MolO | IP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vulcan Centaur VC0 | 10800 | 8500 | 7900 | 3300 | - | 2500 | 2100 |
| Vulcan Centaur VC2 | 19000 | 15200 | 14400 | 8300 | 2500 | 6200 | 6200 |
| Vulcan Centaur VC4 | 24600 | 20000 | 18500 | 11600 | 4800 | 8900 | 9100 |
| Vulcan Centaur VC6 | 27200 | 23900 | 22300 | 14400 | 6300 | 10600 | 11300 |
| Vulcan Centaur-Upgrade | 27200 | 24900 | 15300 | 7000 | 12100 |
* = structural limit
Nr: TNr: Vehicle: Serial: Fair: LS: Date: Payload
1 1 Vulcan Centaur VC2S V001 S CC SLC-41 08.01.2024 Peregrine 1 / Celestis 20 Planned: 2 1 Vulcan Centaur VC4L V002 L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.2024 Dream Chaser Cargo F1 3 x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x . CC SLC-41 xx.xx.2024 NTS 3 (USSF 106) / SunRISE 1, ..., 6 4 x Vulcan Centaur VC0S x S CC SLC-41 xx.4Q.2024 GPS-3 7 / D 1 x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x DRACO Demo (USSF 25) x x Vulcan Centaur VC4L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x Dream Chaser Cargo F2 x x Vulcan Centaur VC4L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x Dream Chaser Cargo F3 x x Vulcan Centaur VC4L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x Dream Chaser Cargo F4 x x Vulcan Centaur VC4L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x Dream Chaser Cargo F5 x x Vulcan Centaur VC4L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x Dream Chaser Cargo F6 x x Vulcan Centaur VC0S x S CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x GPS-3 8 x x Vulcan Centaur VC0S x S CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x GPS-3 9 x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x CC SLC-41 xx.xx.2024 MTC Epoch-1 1 (USSF 95) x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x CC SLC-41 xx.xx.2025 NG-OPIR-GEO 1 (USSF 57) x x Vulcan Centaur VC6x x CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x Silentbarker 4, 5, 6 (NROL 118) x x Vulcan Centaur VC2L x CC SLC-41 xx.xx.2024 WGS 11 x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x NROL 56 x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x NROL 64 x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x Va SLC-3E xx.xx.202x NROL 73 x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x Va SLC-3E xx.xx.202x NROL 83 x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x Va SLC-3E xx.xx.202x NROL 100 x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x NROL 109 x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x STP 5 x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x Va SLC-3E xx.xx.202x T1TR-B x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x Va SLC-3E xx.xx.202x T1TR-D x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x Va SLC-3E xx.xx.202x T2TL-B x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x USSF 16 x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x USSF 23 x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x USSF 43 x x Vulcan Centaur VC4x x CC SLC-41 xx.xx.2024 USSF 87 x x Vulcan Centaur VC4x x CC SLC-41 xx.xx.2024 USSF 112 x x Vulcan Centaur VCxx x Va SLC-3E xx.xx.202x USSF 114 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV1 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV2 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV3 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV4 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV5 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV6 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV7 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV8 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV9 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV10 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV11 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV12 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV13 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV14 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV15 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV16 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV17 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV18 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV19 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV20 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV21 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV22 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV23 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV24 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV25 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV26 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV27 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV28 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV29 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV30 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV31 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV32 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV33 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV34 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV35 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV36 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV37 1, ..., 45 x x Vulcan Centaur VC6L x L CC SLC-41 xx.xx.202x KuiperSat LV38 1, ..., 45 Launch sites: CC = Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Eastern Test Range, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USAVa = Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA
