United Launch Alliance plans return to flight for Vulcan rocket
United Launch Alliance intends to resume Vulcan rocket operations on November 13 following a nine-month hiatus to address technical anomalies. The mission will deploy satellites for Amazon's broadband constellation.
United Launch Alliance (ULA) has scheduled a return-to-flight mission for its Vulcan rocket on November 13. The company paused operations nine months ago following technical anomalies identified in the solid rocket boosters during previous missions.
The upcoming mission, launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, is set to carry 40 satellites for Amazon's Leo broadband network. This launch marks the first of 38 flights contracted by Amazon to establish its satellite constellation, pending final regulatory approval.
This launch is a critical milestone for ULA. The Vulcan platform has experienced nozzle failures on its boosters during two of its first four flights. While the rockets successfully completed their missions, the incidents resulted in scrutiny from the U.S. Space Force, the company's primary client. The successful deployment of this payload is essential for ULA to restore confidence in the launch system.