Spaceflight Now reports this is the second time the rocket is being prepared for launch following a months-long delay in certifying the launch vehicle. “It was previously readied in late October in support of the USSF-106 mission, the planned, first national security flight of a Vulcan rocket.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Tag: stacking
ULA Preparing Vulcan Rocket for First National Security Mission
Spaceflight Now reports, “Less than a month after the second of two planned certification launches, United Launch Alliance is getting a Vulcan rocket ready for its first national security mission: United States Space Force 106 (USSF-106). On Monday, ULA shared photos of the 109.2-foot-long (33.3 m) booster being hoisted into the Vertical Integration Facility to begin the stacking process. In the days and possibly weeks to come, the 38.5-foot-long (11.7 m) Centaur 5 upper stage will be added along with four solid rocket boosters and the payload fairings.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
NASA to Continue to Study Orion Heat Shield Issue Before Stacking Artemis II Rocket
Ars Technica reports, “NASA would like to start stacking the Space Launch System rocket for the Artemis II mission—the first human flight around the Moon since 1972—sometime next month, but the agency’s exploration chief says the milestone could be delayed as engineers continue studying the readiness of the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)