United Launch Alliance introduces Vulcan next generation launcher

i wonder what gone happen
if Elon Musk provide ULA with Raptor engines for Vulcan ?
 
Wonder if Bruno is having second thoughts about picking Blue Origin over AJR.
I wonder why ULA ever thought intentionally putting yourself at the mercy of a competitor (and an unproven one at that) was a good idea.
 
i wonder what gone happen
if Elon Musk provide ULA with Raptor engines for Vulcan ?
Why bother?
This could be advantage for Musk and SpaceX

1. First ULA would depends on SpaceX on Engines, not would-be competitor Blue Origin.
2. Next to that would Space Force be grateful for support and show appreciation in form of new contracts.
3. Also "Elon Musk comes to Rescue" could help in Capitol Hill against current Bezos lobbyism.

it's win win win situation for SpaceX...
 
View: https://twitter.com/free_space/status/1405701313040732161


Debut launch of @ulalaunch Vulcan slipping to 2022 as customer @astrobotic needs more time to prep Peregrine lunar lander. "Covid presented a lot of problems for the entire space supply chain," CEO John Thornton tells @aviationweek "We're just doing the best we can."

View: https://twitter.com/free_space/status/1405701314152177667


Vulcan prev slated for late '21 launch, with @blueorigin BE-4 engines, now in pre-qual testing, the pacing item. "We like the performance—it’s better than I expected," says @torybruno " We’re still going to drive toward having that rocket ready. In our business ...

View: https://twitter.com/free_space/status/1405701315196592129


you always want the rocket waiting on the spacecraft and not the other way around.”
 
View: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1409881787245936643


Video from getting ready to test #Vulcan ‘s thrust structure at @Dynetics. This light weight, finely tuned, and perfectly designed set of rings And trusses conveys 3.5 million pounds of thrust into the rest of the rocket’s structure. #ToryTimelapse

View: https://twitter.com/timdemeijer/status/1409887773151137804


Will the engines stick out of the holes in the orange structure entirely, just the nozzles or will the nozzle edges be level with the holes?

View: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1409888682371436549


 
Vulcan should have been Dynetics Pyrios booster…maybe as a flyback
 
View: https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1430232860665991170


Tory Bruno with probably his sharpest public words yet on Blue Origin the BE-4 engine delay. Privately he's quite a bit sharper, hah.

"I need them to diligently work through the plans we have and get done on time."


View: https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1430233735090278401


Blue Origin will not deliver the BE-4 engines for the inaugural launch of ULA's Vulcan rocket "before the end of the year," CEO @torybruno tells @GregAveryDenBiz, emphasizing that he needs Bezos' company "to diligently work through the plans we have."

View: https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1430233912710770694


Bruno added that ULA has "been able to accommodate" the delay, "but I’ll be straight with you, the dates we’ve set up for them now— we really don’t have the ability to make any big moves after this."

View: https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1430234270891708463


Bruno: "“We really like the engines ... The engines are performing well, and the design has stabilized, and it’s now really a matter of getting through the test program and fabricating the flight engines … It’s the endgame now.”
 
View: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1430350510071054337


I expect engines before the end of the year. If there are any unforeseen challenges, they could move past that. At present, the engine is performing well and is in prequal testing. Flight engines have begun fabrication. I expect the have the rocket ready ahead of the payload

View: https://twitter.com/marcushouse/status/1430353762967703555


Sounds very positive. What is involved with prequal testing?

View: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1430356281890545666


In general,Prequal is like path funding for qual and usually involves some additional testing that gives some indication of margins

View: https://twitter.com/rmartinezvlzqz/status/1430258420444241932


Why didn't @ulalaunch develop their own rocket engine?
@torybruno

View: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1430350695115284480


 
View: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1430624405722308610

@torybruno
The #VulcanCentaur PTT booster was transferred from the SPOC to the pad today for a series of fueling tests in the coming weeks #CountdownToVulcan
 
Blue Origin is unlikely to deliver two flight-ready versions of the BE-4 rocket engine to United Launch Alliance (ULA) before at least the second quarter of 2022, two sources say. This increases the possibility that the debut flight of ULA's much-anticipated new rocket, Vulcan, could slip into 2023.

Vulcan's first stage is powered by two BE-4 engines, which burn methane and are more powerful than the space shuttle's main engines. The sources said there recently was a "relatively small" production issue with fabrication of the flight engines at Blue Origin's factory in Kent, Washington.


Peller appeared to deny a report, published by Ars Technica Dec. 13, that stated that the delivery of the engines had slipped to at least April 2022 and threatened to delay that first launch to 2023.

“Absolutely not 2023,” he said when asked if early 2023 was a likely date for the first launch. “We have a plan that will support a flight in mid-2022.”

 
Redesigning the Vulcan around ULA's biggest competitor would hardly save any time or money at this point, besides being a rather bad strategic move.
They are kind of stuck now. Any alternative would be even worse in both time and money.
 

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