United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully launched its newest rocket system, the Vulcan, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Tuesday night. The launch took place at 8:56 p.m. Eastern daylight time and marked the first fully operational flight of the Vulcan rocket with two military satellites onboard for a U.S. Space Force mission.
The launch began with two methane-fueled BE-4 engines generating three million pounds of thrust to lift the rocket off pad 41. After three and a half minutes, the second stage Centaur rocket ignited its two hydrogen-fueled Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10C engines to continue carrying the payload into geosynchronous orbit above the Equator.
The Centaur system is designed to transport heavy payloads into specialized orbits without requiring much fuel from the satellites themselves. One of the satellites on this mission will conduct a classified operation, while the other will test new navigation technology and atomic clocks that could support future jam-resistant GPS data for global navigation.
Workers involved in building and launching ULA rockets are members of IAM Local 610 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Local 971 in Jupiter, Florida, and Local 44 in Decatur, Alabama.
According to ULA, “This was the 101st successful launch of a ULA rocket system thanks to the hard work and dedication of this multi talented group of IAM Brothers, Sisters, and Siblings.”
