ULA is scheduling its Vulcan rocket for a return-to-flight mission on November 13, nine months after solid rocket booster nozzle failures grounded the vehicle. The mission will deploy 40 satellites for Amazon's Leo broadband constellation, marking the first of 38 planned flights. Engineers have implemented design and process improvements to address the nozzle anomaly, though Pentagon scrutiny remains high.
Background
United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket has faced booster nozzle failures on two of its first four missions, damaging confidence among its primary customer, the US Space Force, which relies on Vulcan for roughly half of its major national security launches through the early 2030s.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Oct 29, 2026 at 06:51 AM
- Score
- 6.0 / 10