Spaceflight Insider
Matt Haskell
February 13th, 2021
United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket pathfinder test article was driven onto Cape Canaveral Space Force Station this morning, following its recent arrival by sea, aboard RS RocketShip. Image: Matt Haskell, Spaceflight Insider
Progress continues to advance for United Launch Alliance’s newest rocket, as the pathfinder for the Vulcan rocket arrived by the company’s cargo ship and was unloaded at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Saturday, February 15.
A nearly flight capable booster, the Pathfinder Tanking Test (PTT) booster will be utilized for checkouts of the new rocket’s Ground Support Equipment, as well as launch and integration hardware. While visiting the pad, the PTT will also undergo a full cryogenic tanking test to verify the booster’s flight pressure integrity. While the booster is currently fitted with static fired test engines that are no longer flight capable, according to ULA CEO Tory Bruno, the PT
Northrop Grumman Tests New Motor for U.S. Space Force’s Vulcan Centaur Rocket Our Bureau 1751
Northrop Grumman Corporation conducted a validation ground test of an extended length 63-inch-diameter Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM 63XL) today in Promontory.
This variation of the company’s GEM 63 strap-on booster was developed in partnership with United Launch Alliance (ULA) to provide additional lift capability to the Vulcan Centaur rocket.
Vulcan Centaur is a two-stage-to-orbit heavy-lift launch vehicle under development 2014–2021 by United Launch Alliance (ULA), principally funded through the U.S. government s National Security Space Launch (NSSL) competition and launch program, to meet the demands of the United States Space Force and U.S. national security satellite launches.
47,853 kg (
147-cm (
44,087 kg (
The business end of the GEM-63XL. Source: NASA
Northrop Grumman Vice President of Propulsion Systems Charlie Precourt has told NASA, The GEM-63XL increases thrust and performance by 15 - 20 percent compared to a standard GEM 63.
The purpose of the January 21, 2020 test was to validate the performance of the new motor s internal insulation, the grain of its solid propellant, and its ballistics, in a hot-conditioned environment. A previous test of the motor conducted on
August 13, 2020, was for a cold-conditioned environment. At today s test, the rocket motor fired for approximately
90 seconds and produced nearly
203,600 kg (
449,000 pounds) of thrust.