ULA Vulcan Upper Stage Needs More Work, to Return to Factory After Investigation on March Explosion

Isaiah Richard, Tech Times 28 June 2023, 10:06 pm

United Launch Alliance is bringing back the upper stage of the Vulcan rocket, the Centaur V, back to the factory to focus on more work and improve what the spacecraft can offer. This was because of an explosion during its test flight back in March 2023, held via NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.

The explosion was met with investigations to determine the cause of the accident, but one sure thing is that there would be delays for the first launch of the missions for the rocket.

ULA's Vulcan Upper Stage, Centaur V, is Coming Back to the Factory

(Photo : United Launch Alliance)

Ars Tecnica reported that ULA is now shipping back the Centaur V to its factory for more work to put in the upper-stage spacecraft and address its current issues, after the recent mishap in its testing. The structural test that it took back on March 29 resulted in an unprecedented explosion that triggered an investigation that only recently concluded.

After as much as three months of investigating the spacecraft, it is now being sent back to fix its flaws and develop a better, more capable rocket to be used for launch.

The famed space company from Boeing and Lockheed Martin is still targeting a launch by the fourth quarter of this year, and hopefully, this is one that can handle everything and be closer to its space ventures.

More Work for Centaur V Means Further Delays

Earlier this year, it was deemed that the Vulcan and Centaur V were fit for launch, with the company looking at testing its capabilities sometime later.

However, they were proven wrong after the upper stage burst in the testing facility almost three months ago, and now it is back to develop the spacecraft.

There are speculations that ULA Vulcan's first flights would take place by next year, expecting further delays before it is ready to take on its next big step.

The United Launch Alliance's Space Ventures

NASA's Commercial Crew missions and other partnerships with private space companies include the famed United Launch Alliance their list of collaborations, meant for different cosmic ventures. Alongside SpaceX, ULA was selected by NASA for different Space Force missions to bring national security developments to orbit.

Back in 2021, ULA announced the retirement of its Atlas V rocket before fulfilling its last 29 missions for different partners and clients, being one of the most trusted spacecraft in history. There were no successors named yet by ULA, known for its more than 600 missions in its 15 years in service, with a 100 percent success rate.

The next-in-line for ULA's rockets include the Vulcan, paired with the Centaur V upper stage that will take the company to new heights in this age of commercial space ventures. However, with its recent explosion and investigation, the team is looking to fix and rework the upper stage for the time being, with expected delays on its supposed flights.