Vulcan (rocket)

The Vulcan rocket is an American heavy-payload launch vehicle under development since 2014 by United Launch Alliance (ULA), funded by a public–private partnership with the US government. ULA expects the first launch of the new rocket to occur no earlier than 2019.

To date, the ULA board of directors has made only short-term (quarterly) funding commitments to the rocket development project, and it is unclear if long-term private funding will be available to finish the project. As of March 2016, the US government has committed US$201 million to Vulcan development,^[4] and ULA is working to obtain additional government funding for development of the launch vehicle.^[5]

History

ULA had considered several launch vehicle concepts in the decade since the company was formed in 2006. Various concepts for derivative vehicles based on the Atlas and Delta lines of launch vehicles they inherited from their predecessor companies were presented to the US government for funding. None were funded beyond concept stage.

In early 2014, geopolitical and US political considerations involving international sanctions during the Ukrainian crisis, led to an effort by ULA to consider possibly replacing the Russian-supplied RD-180 engine used on the first stage booster of the Atlas V. Formal study contracts were issued by ULA in June 2014 to several US rocket engine suppliers.^[6] ULA was also facing competition from SpaceX — then seen to affect its core national security market of US military launches — and by July 2014, the United States Congress was debating whether to legislate a ban on future use of the RD-180.^[7]

In September 2014, ULA announced that it had entered into a partnership with Blue Origin to develop the BE-4 liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid methane (CH₄) engine to replace the RD-180 on a new first stage booster. The engine was already in its third year of development by Blue Origin, and ULA said it expected the new stage and engine to start flying no earlier than 2019.^[8] Two of the 2,400-kilonewton (550,000 lbf)-thrust BE-4 engines were to be used on a new launch vehicle booster.^[6]

In October 2014, ULA announced a major restructuring of company processes and workforce to reduce launch costs by half. One of the reasons given for the restructuring and new cost reduction goals was new competition in the launch market from SpaceX.^[9][7] ULA stated it planned to have preliminary design ideas in place for a blending of its existing Atlas V and Delta IV technologies by the end of 2014, to build a successor to the Atlas V that would allow them to halve Atlas V launch costs.^[9] A part of the restructuring effort was described as the effort to co-develop the alternative BE-4 engine with Blue Origin for the new launch vehicle.^[10] By early 2016, public information indicated the ULA team would be reduced by about one quarter of its legacy workforce, or more than 800 employees, by 2017 in order to better compete with SpaceX and Blue Origin offerings in the US launch market.^[11]

ULA first referred to the successor concept vehicle as a "next generation launch system" in October 2014^[9] and used that descriptor for the rocket through the end of 2014 and into early 2015.^[8] ULA did not release details by the end of 2014, but unveiled the new vehicle April 2015.

On 13 April 2015, CEO Tory Bruno unveiled the new ULA launch vehicle as the Vulcan at the 31st Space Symposium, a new two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) rocket that would be rolled out incrementally. The Vulcan name was chosen after an online poll to select the name. Vulcan Inc. has stated that it holds the trademark on the name and has contacted ULA.^[12] As of 24 April 2015, the ULA board had not yet approved the new launch vehicle, with first launch planned in 2019.^[7]

ULA is taking an "incremental approach" to rolling out the vehicle and its technologies.^[13] Vulcan deployment will begin with the first stage, based on the Delta IV's fuselage diameter and production process and is expected to use two BE-4 engines. Aerojet Rocketdyne's AR1 engine is being retained by ULA as a contingency option, with a final decision to be made in 2016. The first stage can optionally have from zero to six solid rocket boosters (SRBs), and in the maximal configuration could launch a heavier payload than the highest-rated Atlas V, though still less than the Delta IV Heavy. A later feature is planned to make the first stage partly reusable. ULA plans to develop the technology to allow the engines to detach from the vehicle after cutoff, descend through the atmosphere with a heat shield and parachute, and finally be captured by a helicopter in mid-air.^[12] In April 2015, ULA estimated that reusing the engines would reduce the cost of the first stage propulsion by 90%, with propulsion being 65% of the total first stage build cost.^[14]

Initial configurations of Vulcan will use the same Centaur upper stage as the Atlas V, with its existing RL10 engines. A later advanced cryogenic upper stage — called the Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage (ACES) — is conceptually planned for full development by ULA in the late 2010s. ACES would be LOX and liquid hydrogen (LH₂) powered by one to four rocket engines yet to be selected. This upper stage will include the Integrated Vehicle Fluids technology that could allow long on-orbit life of the upper stage, measured in weeks rather than hours.^[15][13]

In 2015, ULA stated its goal was to sell a "barebones Vulcan" for half the price of a basic Atlas V rocket, which as of 2015, sold for about $164 million. Addition of strap-on boosters for heavier satellites would increase the price.^[16]

In May 2015, the ULA CEO released a chart showing a potential future Vulcan Heavy three-core launch vehicle concept with 23,000 kg (50,000 lb)-payload capacity to geostationary transfer orbit, while a one-core Vulcan 561 with the ACES upper stage would have 15,100 kg (33,200 lb) capacity to the same orbit.^[17]

In September 2015, ULA and Blue Origin announced an agreement to expand production capabilities to include the BE-4 rocket engine then in development and test. However, ULA also reconfirmed that the decision on the BE-4 versus the AJR AR1 would not be made until late 2016, with maiden flight of Vulcan no earlier than 2019.^[18] As of January 2016, full-engine testing of the BE-4 is planned to begin prior to the end of 2016.^[19] In 2016, ULA is designing two versions of the Vulcan first stage, one using the BE-4 with a 5.4 m (18 ft) outer diameter to support the less-dense methane fuel and an AR1 design with the same 3.81 m (12.5 ft) diameter as Atlas V for the denser RP-1 (kerosene) fuel.^[20]

In March 2016, ULA completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for one of the two parallel designs: the Vulcan/Centaur launch vehicle with dual Blue Origin BE-4 engines. The PDR "confirms that the design meets the requirements for the diverse set of missions it will support."^[21]

In April 2016, ULA CEO Tory Bruno stated that the company was targeting a complete launch services price of $99 million for base Vulcan with no solid rocket boosters.^[11]

Funding

Vulcan is being funded by a combination of government and private funds.^[4] The initial private funding for Vulcan development, over the first 18 months since announcement in October 2014, has been approved only for the short term. By April 2015, it became public that the United Launch Alliance board of directors — composed entirely of executives from Boeing and Lockheed Martin — is approving development funding on only a quarter-by-quarter basis.^[22] Funding remained limited to quarterly approvals in June 2015, and Lockheed Martin was actively working to use the funding limitation to get the US Congress to change existing law and allow extension of ULA ability to acquire RD-180 engines for the Atlas V.^[23] In March 2016, executives from ULA indicated that the practice of quarter-by-quarter investment for Vulcan development would continue.^[4]

By March 2016, the US Air Force had committed up to US$202 million of funding for Vulcan development. ULA has not "put a firm price tag on [the total cost of Vulcan development but ULA CEO Tory Bruno has] said new rockets typically cost $2 billion, including $1 billion for the main engine."^[4] ULA Board of Directors member, and Boeing executive (President of Boeing's Network and Space Systems (N&SS) division), Craig Cooning said in April 2016 that he is confident that the US Air Force will invest in further funding of Vulcan development costs.^[5]

Description

The first stage tanks will be derived from those of the Delta IV, using two of the 2,400-kilonewton (550,000 lbf)-thrust BE-4 engines.^[6][24][25] The engine is already in its third year of development by Blue Origin, and ULA expects the new stage and engine to start flying no earlier than 2019.

Vulcan will initially use the same Centaur upper stage as on Atlas V, later to be upgraded to ACES.^[24] It will also use a variable number of optional solid rocket boosters, called the Graphite-Epoxy Motor (GEM) 63XL, derived from the new solid boosters planned for Atlas V.^[26]

In August 2016 ULA's President and CEO said they intend to man rate both the Vulcan and ACES.^[27]

References

External links

• Official website
• ISPCS 2015 Keynote, Mark Peller, Program Manager of Major Development at ULA and Vulcan Program Manager discusses Vulcan, 8 October 2015. Key discussion of Vulcan is at 12:20 in the video.