Parabolic Arc by Doug Messier 2/23/2023
United Launch Alliance (ULA) has set May 4 as the date for the maiden launch of its new Vulcan rocket. The flight will launch Astrobotic Technology’s Peregrine spacecraft to land on the Moon as well as two other payloads.
CEO Tory Bruno said during a call with reporters on Thursday that qualification of Blue Origin’s BE-4 first-stage engine was the main pacing item for the launch. Engineers found the oxygen pump on one of the two BE-4 engines had about 5 percent better performance than other engines the company had tested.
Bruno said that although performance variations of that magnitude are not uncommon across large rocket motors, ULA wanted to make sure it was not a sign of a more serious problem. The engine was taken off the test stand and disassembled for examination.
With the examination completed, ULA is now prepared to resume testing with the remaining BE-4 engine, he added. That process should take about six weeks.
More:
https://parabolicarc.com/2023/02/23/ula-sets-launch-4-launch-date-vulcan-rocket-be4-engine-testing-continues/
