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Month: January 2024

ULA’s new Vulcan Centaur blasts off for 1st time from Space Coast

ULA’s new Vulcan Centaur blasts off for 1st time from Space Coast

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — A new era for United Launch Alliance began as the first Vulcan Centaur rocket made its much-delayed debut blasting off on an overnight launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The replacement for ULA’s Atlas V and Delta IV rockets that was originally aiming to fly by 2021 finally took flight three years later on the Certification-1 mission from Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 2:18 a.m. Monday.

Vulcan carved a bright streak of light over the clear Space Coast sky amid cheers from the crowds gathered at KSC’s press site that were drowned out by the soundwave of the rocket’s 1.7 million pounds of thrust, which in turn set off a symphony of car alarms.

“Tremendous excitement and anticipation,” said ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno ahead of launch. “I’ve got to tell you, I’ve done over 400 launches. All of them I always get butterflies. This one’s really special because of what it means to our country, to our customers, to the team that has worked so hard.” read more

SpaceX knocks out Sunday launch before ULA Vulcan’s 1st flight overnight

SpaceX knocks out Sunday launch before ULA Vulcan’s 1st flight overnight

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — SpaceX may not have had a moonbound rocket on the pad, but it did manage its second launch of the year from the Space Coast on Sunday afternoon. United Launch Alliance, which is targeting the moon, was set to lift off with its first launch of the year about nine hours later.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 more of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites carved up the dying blue skies at sunset with a 5:35 p.m. liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40.

The first-stage booster made its 16th flight having previously flown on two crewed and two cargo missions to the International Space Station among others. SpaceX managed another recovery landing of the first stage downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

It marks the second launch for SpaceX from the Space Coast and third for the company for the year having also flown once from California. Company officials have said 2024 could see as many as 12 launches per month or 144 for the year. Elon Musk’s company flew 96 orbital missions among Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets in 2023 from it Florida and California facilities. read more