United Launch Alliance plans to return its Vulcan rocket to flight on November 13, nine months after a solid rocket booster anomaly disrupted the company’s 2026 launch schedule. The mission will carry 40 satellites for Amazon’s Leo broadband constellation, but its date remains subject to approval from the launch range at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
It will be the first of 38 Vulcan missions Amazon has booked to deploy most of its satellite network. The flight is also a critical test for ULA after the rocket experienced solid rocket booster nozzle failures on two of its first four missions, including the most recent flight in February.
Although Vulcan overcame the nozzle problems and completed both missions, the incidents reduced confidence in the rocket among officials at its primary customer, the US Space Force.
Space Force officials are expected to closely examine Vulcan’s return-to-flight mission. The Pentagon has selected ULA’s Vulcan rockets for roughly half of its major launches through the early 2030s. The Space Force certified Vulcan for national security launches in 2025. The rocket flew two missions under that certification before being sidelined following the February booster incident.
ULA cites progress on booster investigation
ULA said engineers have made “significant progress” in understanding the booster anomaly that occurred in February. The investigation identified “several potential causes,” which the company said it addressed through nozzle design and manufacturing-process improvements.
“To support our customers, this launch will utilize an improved nozzle design, and additional testing and analysis will continue in parallel with the mission,” ULA said.
“By flying improved designs, ULA will gain valuable flight data to validate these improvements, which is the most beneficial path forward in supporting all of our customers,” the company added.
Source: arstechnica.com
