РН Вулкан - Vulcan Centaur heavy-lift launch vehicle (Планов громадье в ULA)

[Salo]

https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/04/02/united-launch-alliance-wins-three-u-s-government-satellite-launches/

United Launch Alliance wins three U.S. government satellite launches             
 April 2, 2017 Justin Ray
 
Delta 4-Heavy, Atlas 5-551 and Atlas 5-401 have each booked new U.S. government missions. Photos by United Launch Alliance

CAPE CANAVERAL — The most powerful variants of the Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets have been purchased by the Air Force to launch intelligence-gathering spacecraft for the U.S. government, and NASA has bought an Atlas 5 to deploy a critical polar-orbiting weather satellite.
The first mission is planned for July 2020 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California using a Delta 4-Heavy rocket to launch the NROL-82 payload for the National Reconnaissance Office.
This craft is likely the second of two upcoming exquisite-class, electro-optical surveillance spy satellites needed to replenish the NRO's overhead imaging constellation in polar orbit.
The other newly-ordered launch is just a month later in August 2020 using an Atlas 5-551 with five side-mounded solid rocket boosters for maximum liftoff power. It will launch the NROL-101 payload from Cape Canaveral. The identity of that craft is not publicly known, nor is its target orbit.
Both rockets are part of the existing EELV Block Buy between the Air Force and United Launch Alliance. The mission assignments were announced Friday by the Pentagon.
The missions exceed the lift performance of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets that has been certified by the Air Force for national security payloads, making ULA the only provider available to execute these heavy launches.
In other government-launch news, NASA said last month that the second satellite in the next-generation era of U.S. civilian weather observatories will be launched atop an Atlas 5-401 rocket.
The Atlas 5 beat out the Falcon 9 in a competition to win the rights to launch the Joint Polar Satellite System spacecraft No. 2 in 2021 from Vandenberg Air Force Base.
NASA made the Launch Service Task Order under the agency's Launch Services 2 contract, which includes Atlas 5, Delta 4-Heavy, Antares, Falcon 9 and future Falcon Heavy.
The first JPSS is scheduled to launch this September atop the high-end version of ULA's Delta 2 rocket with nine strap-on solid motors.
But with the Delta 2 being retired next year, the JPSS 2 launch will be performed by the modest version of the more-powerful Atlas 5 rocket flying in its frequently-used 401 configuration with no solids.
JPSS is the next American polar-orbiting weather satellite series that will feed long-range forecasts and track environmental trends. It is is a collaboration between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
From a 512-mile orbit, tilted 98.7 degrees to the equator and traveling pole-to-pole, JPSS satellites will survey the entire globe twice per day with their sensor packages.
The craft will provide imagery, atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles, and land and ocean surface temperature observations, all of which are key ingredients for weather forecasting. In addition, the satellite will measure ozone levels and reflected solar radiation from the planet.
The Air Force has awarded two GPS launches to Falcon 9, as previously reported. The military is evaluating ULA vs. SpaceX for its Space Test Program 3 mission, and has plans to compete a dozen other low-weight launches.

[tnt22]

Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 38 мин. назад

ARTICLE: SLC-41 completes EES installation ahead of Starliner missions - (plus SLS EES upd ate) - https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/04/slc-41-completes-ees-starliner-missions/ ...

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https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/04/slc-41-completes-ees-starliner-missions/

SLC-41 completes EES installation ahead of Starliner missions
April 3, 2017 by Chris Bergin
 
 

An Emergency Egress System (EES) has completed its installation into the Crew Access Tower (CAT) at Space Launch Complex -41 (SLC-41) in preparation for Atlas V launches with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. The EES is a vital element for all crew launch vehicles, with the SLC-41 EES working with the traditional "slide wire" concept.
 
 SLC-41 EES:

The requirement to have an Emergency Egress System (EES) is not just for the astronauts se t to ride uphill fr om the launch pad, but also for the engineering teams who's role includes working up close and personal with the rocket in the final days of the pad flow.



ULA began evaluating options for SLC-41 during a period Atlas V was catering for two crew-capable vehicles options, namely Starliner – or CST-100 as it was known – and Sierra Nevada Corporation's (SNC) and their Dream Chaser spacecraft.

"Different options for emergency egress. Detailed hazard analysis of the launch operations is a key determinant," noted the since-retired Dr. George Sowers, ULA VP for Human Launch Services, during a Q&A session with NASASpaceFlight.com members in 2012. "We have the option of implementing a shuttle-like slide wire system if required."

Although Atlas V is still hoping to launch Dream Chaser missions, the spacecraft's role has been refocused on cargo missions. The EES option will still be employed for pad crews tending to the spacecraft. However, the highlighted role will be for astronauts riding on the Starliner.

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The historical heritage of the EES hardware has mainly been based around utilizing a fairly simple, gravity-powered systems with a requirement to be passive/unpowered, in case the emergency cut power to the pad. However, each option had a different take on a similar theme.



The first EES for the Saturn V used the existing launch tower elevators to evacuate crew and/or engineers to the base of the Mobile Launch Platform, before transferring to a "slide tube" that led in an underground rubber room/sealed blast room – which remains in a preserved condition at Complex 39. (Large photo collection available on L2 – LINK).

A second system was added a few years later, adding the option of a single cab on a slide wire that egressed the astronauts outside of the pad perimeter – known as the Blast Danger Area (BDA) – 2,400 feet away fr om the pad. From there, they would enter a sealed bunker and await rescue.

This slide wire system was expanded by the time the Space Shuttle began its service for NASA, with extra emphasis on the pad EES, not least because a pad abort was not possible via the vehicle, due to the lack of a LAS.



Engineers installed five slide wires to the launch tower – later expanded to seven – with baskets that could hold up to four people each.

These slidewires ended at the same Apollo bunkers outside the BDA, wh ere personnel could wait out the disaster or transfer to an armored vehicle (M-113) and drive to a triage site wh ere they could be met by rescue personnel.

The slide wire option remained relatively unchanged throughout its career with the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) and was thankfully never required or used in anger.

It was used – mostly uncrewed – during emergency drills carried out on occasions such as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT), allowing the crew to practice their evacuation plans.



With ULA working on SLC-41 during regular Atlas V missions, this week's announcement that a final test of the pad's EES has been conducted is another step towards seeing US astronauts launching from the Cape.

"ULA is absolutely focused on the safety of the crews we will be supporting and although we hope to never use it, we are excited to announce the Emergency Egress System is fully operational," said Gary Wentz, Vice President of Human & Commercial Services.

"Through our partnership with Terra-Nova, a company that designs and builds zip lines for recreational use, a modified, off-the-shelf product has been designed and constructed to meet our needs and reduce costs, while maintaining reliability and safety."



The egress cables are situated on level 12 of the Crew Access Tower (CAT), 172 feet above the Space Launch Complex 41 pad deck and will allow the crew to evacuate the CAT quickly to a landing zone more than 1,340 feet from the launch vehicle.

The EES can accommodate up to 20 personnel, including ground crew and flight crew.

ULA noted that Terra-Nova, LLC (makers of the ZipRider Hybrid) offered a commercially developed EES based on their "off-the-shelf," patented designs.

The ZipRider was easily adaptable to ULA's specific needs while offering an unmatched safety record, and providing the best overall value.



With Boeing's Chris Ferguson – a former Shuttle commander – enjoying a test ride on the system ahead of its installation at SLC-41, it takes just 30 seconds for the rider to reach a top speed of 40 mph. The riders control their speed by releasing pressure on the handles, with the ability to glide to a gentle stop at the landing zone.

There are 30 feet of springs on each cable located in the landing area to gradually slow a rider down if they forget to brake. Terra-Nova will install a training system located north of the CAT for riders to practice on before final training on the operational EES.

"Crew safety is paramount, and the ULA emergency egress system hits the mark for an effective yet simple system that is adapted from other commercial applications," said Commander Ferguson, Boeing director of Starliner Crew and Mission Systems.
 
"We look forward to spaceflight operations next year knowing that every measure to protect the flight and ground crew has been employed."

There's also been internal movement on the EES that will be employed for the Space Launch System (SLS) on Pad 39B, years after a trade study began to evaluate the best EES option for safely evacuating crew and engineers from the dizzy heights of the Mobile Launcher (ML). Teams have been told to accelerate options in light of the recent study into changing Exploration Mission -1 (EM-1) into a crewed mission.



Currently, only one patchy render of the system has been acquired (L2) – showing the use of a massive crane.

"Members of the Operations Integration and Analysis team developed, modeled, and created images of an Emergency Egress System concept in support of the Crewed SLS EM-1 Mission Study," noted a memo via L2.

"The orange frame depicts the fixture with the four baskets lifted by a mobile crane and attached to the west side of the Mobile Launcher. The ground distance from the tower to the end of the slide wire is over 1100 feet, and the wire would be approximately 1300ft long. These images were used in the crewed EM-1 impact briefing to NASA Headquarters."

The use of a massive crane will be far cheaper than the recommended option from the 2006 study for the since-cancelled Ares I launch vehicle EES, once again pitching several very different designs against each other – including a slide wire system.



The winner of the 2006 study was the spectacular Roller Coaster EES – a giant structure that would have been a permanent fixture out at Pad 39B, rising into the Florida skyline ready to be hooked up to the ML once it had rolled out to the pad with the vehicle.

The Roller Coaster EES included a multi-car high-speed rail system and used gravity to get personnel to a safe haven. It was deemed to be very accommodating to incapacitated crew members as well as limited 3G forces on the people riding the cars with a passive electromagnetic braking system.

It underwent a few redesigns during the life of the Constellation Program, including options to extend the rails to an area outside the BDA directly into a triage site.



For this system, NASA relied on many different areas of expertise: Safety, Medical, Operations Personnel, and the Astronaut Office. Engineers involved in Disney's roller coaster systems were also part of the design project.

The 2006 trade study – (available on L2 LINK) – helped explain the requirements of the future EES, of which there are numerous considerations. These considerations will be playing into the SLS trade study discussions.

"The EES starts at the crew hatch of the Orion and terminates at the designated safe area. Once the crew access arm is extended, a maximum of 2 minutes for 15 able bodied personnel (six crew members, three closeout crew members, and six fire/rescue members) is allowed to move from the hatch to inside the safe area during vehicle processing at the pad up to T-0.



"The EES shall provide a safe area built to withstand possible blast, fire, and flying debris within the 5,000-ft blast danger area of the tower. The EES shall accommodate the following hazards at the pad: fire, propellant spills, tank overpressure, radioactive-material release, and toxic atmosphere.

"The EES shall provide a clear route from Orion hatch to the egress vehicles with provision for 0.25 gpm/sq ft of water spray and fire detection for the EES before entering the vehicles."

The list continued for two pages, and despite being by far the most expensive, the Roller Coaster EES scored the highest in nearly all of the requirement categories.



The 2006 study design was refined again in 2008, mainly relating to the initial drop from the ML, in turn providing a CGI view from both onboard the coaster and viewing it drop from various viewpoints (L2 Link to Video).

However, the Constellation Program was then canceled.

Pad 39A's EES will be mainly focused around the needs of the pad engineers, given astronauts onboard the Dragon 2 will find their spacecraft will be the fastest way of egressing the pad in the event of an emergency ahead of launch.

Dragon 2 will fire her SuperDraco thrusters in the event of a pad abort scenario, as has already been tested.

(Images: Via Boeing, ULA and L2's specific sections. To join L2, click here: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2/)

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[tnt22]

ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch 16 ч. назад

ULA worked w/Terra-Nova, which designs & creates rec zip lines, to modify ZipRider to meet our needs for the EES #AtlasV #Starliner

ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch 16 ч. назад

Completing Emergency Egress System testing is another step complete as we prepare to launch crew in @BoeingDefense #Starliner atop #AtlasV

ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch 17 ч. назад

Zip line to safety: ULA completes final testing on its Emergency Egress System. #Starliner #AtlasV @BoeingDefense http://bit.ly/2oquaBb 

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http://www.ulalaunch.com/ula-completes-crew-emergency-egress-system.aspx

United Launch Alliance Completes Crew Emergency Egress System

ULA and Terra-Nova Zipline provide NASA and commercial astronauts with safe, new generation egress option  

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., (April 2, 2017) – The final test of the Emergency Egress System (EES) was conducted recently, signifying the completion of another United Launch Alliance (ULA) milestone supporting NASA's Commercial Crew Program. The EES was developed in support of Boeing's Starliner crew capsule and is a means of rapid egress for astronauts in case of an anomaly.

"ULA is absolutely focused on the safety of the crews we will be supporting, and, although we hope to never use it, we are excited to announce the Emergency Egress System is fully operational," said Gary Wentz, vice president of Human & Commercial Services. "Through our partnership with Terra-Nova, a company that designs and builds zip lines for recreational use, a modified, off-the-shelf product has been designed and constructed to meet our needs and reduce costs, while maintaining reliability and safety."

The egress cables are situated on level 12 of the Crew Access Tower (CAT), 172 feet above the Space Launch Complex 41 pad deck at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and will allow the crew to evacuate the CAT quickly to a landing zone more than 1,340 feet from the launch vehicle. The EES can accommodate up to 20 personnel, including ground crew and flight crew.

Terra-Nova, LLC (makers of the ZipRider® Hybrid) offered a commercially developed EES based on their "off-the-shelf," patented designs. The ZipRider was easily adaptable to ULA's specific needs, while offering an unmatched safety record, and providing the best overall value.

In just 30 seconds, the rider reaches top speeds of 40 mph. The riders control their speed by releasing pressure on the handles, with the ability to glide to a gentle stop at the landing zone. There are 30 feet of springs on each cable located in the landing area to gradually slow a rider down if they forget to brake. Terra-Nova will install a training system located north of the CAT for riders to practice on before final training on the operational EES.  

The Boeing Company is developing Starliner and sel ected ULA's Atlas V rocket for human-rated spaceflight to the International Space Station. ULA's Atlas V has launched more than 70 times with a 100 percent mission success rate.

"Crew safety is paramount, and the ULA Emergency Egress System hits the mark for an effective yet simple system that is adapted fr om other commercial applications," said Chris Ferguson, Boeing director of Starliner Crew and Mission Systems and a former NASA astronaut. "We look forward to spaceflight operations next year knowing that every measure to protect the flight and ground crew has been employed."

With more than a century of combined heritage, United Launch Alliance is the nation's most experienced and reliable launch service provider. ULA has successfully delivered more than 115 satellites to orbit that aid meteorologists in tracking severe weather, unlock the mysteries of our solar system, provide critical capabilities for troops in the field and enable personal device-based GPS navigation.

For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com, or call the ULA Launch Hotline at 1-877-ULA-4321 (852-4321). Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch, twitter.com/ulalaunch and instagram.com/ulalaunch.          

[silentpom]

то есть вместо нормальной трубы из аквапарка они сделали какую-то резинку от трусов?

[tnt22]

ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch 26 мин. назад

Final qualification, loads analyses. Flight design. Final assembly. Preparing to launch #Starliner in 2018.

Atlas V Starliner 2017: Preparing to Launch Astronauts to the Space Station

United Launch Alliance is thrilled to be working with Boeing to launch astronauts aboard Boeing's Starliner atop ULA's #AtlasV rocket. Here's what's in store for 2017 as we prepare to launch astronauts to the Space Station beginning in 2018.

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Atlas V Starliner 2017: Preparing to Launch Astronauts to the Space Station

(2:32)

Опубликовано: 3 апр. 2017 г.

United Launch Alliance is thrilled to be working with Boeing to launch astronauts aboard Boeing's Starliner atop ULA's #AtlasV rocket. Here's what's in store for 2017 as we prepare to launch astronauts to the Space Station beginning in 2018.

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ULA Hosts CisLunar Panel at 33rd Space Symposium


(47:22)

United Launch Alliance (ULA) CEO Tory Bruno and key space enterprise partners discuss the vision of a self-sustained space economy within the confines of CisLunar space.

Panel members will representatives from American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Boeing, Made in Space, Offworld, and the United States Air Force.

[Salo]

 Dr. Phil Metzger‏ @DrPhiltill  21 ч.21 час назад
I'm excited to announce that @ulalaunch has funded me + @UCF & @coschoolofmines colleagues to develop lunar water extraction!
 

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CisLunar 2017: A Vision for a Self-Sustaining Space Economy

(2:34)

Опубликовано: 4 апр. 2017 г.

CisLunar - the space between Earth and the moon -- holds vast opportunities for humans. Reliable, accessible, affordable access to space will help open economic opportunities. ULA's ability to provide reliable, affordable access to space, which will provide critical infrastructure to supporting a space economy.

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Spacenews360‏ @SpaceNews360 5 ч. назад

United Launch Alliance cuts Atlas rocket price amid competition http://reut.rs/2nVrpoq  via @Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-ula-idUSKBN17706M

Science News | Tue Apr 4, 2017 | 10:10pm EDT

 United Launch Alliance cuts Atlas rocket price amid competition

By Irene Klotz | COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.
 
 United Launch Alliance has dropped the price of its workhorse Atlas 5 rocket flights by about one-third in response to mounting competition fr om rival SpaceX and others, the company's chief executive said on Tuesday.

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"We're seeing that price is even more important than it had been in the past," Tory Bruno, chief executive of United Launch Alliance, or ULA, said during an interview at the U.S. Space Symposium in Colorado Springs.

"We're dropping the cost of Atlas almost every day. Atlas is now down more than a third in its cost," Bruno said.

As of December 2016, a baseline Atlas 5 rocket launch was selling for about $109 million, though satellite operators can make up at least half that cost by getting more favorable insurance rates and other factors, including an on-time launch, ULA has said.

In contrast, Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, lists the base price of a Falcon 9 rocket launch on its website at $62 million.

ULA's cost reductions include trimming its payroll. The company last year said it planned to cut as many as 875 jobs, or about one-quarter of its workforce, before the end of 2017.  

The company last month lost a U.S. Air Force global positioning satellite launch contract to SpaceX, which bid $96.5 million for the work.

"It was a price-focused competition," Bruno said.

After losing the bid, Bruno said he learned from the Air Force what was obvious - the competitor had a lower price.
 
More competition is on the way. Jeff Bezos' rocket company Blue Origin last month announced its first six launch contracts for its still-in-development New Glenn orbital rocket.

Bruno said ULA would continue to pound away on the Atlas 5 price, but ultimately plans to replace the booster, which has a perfect 70-flight history.

Manufacturing and supplier costs at some point will lim it price reductions, Bruno said. The new booster, expected to debut in 2019, "crashes through that ... floor and brings us to a much more competitive offering."
 
(Editing by Steve Gorman)

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[tnt22]

  :|  
http://spacenews.com/bruno-vulcan-engine-downselect-is-blues-to-lose/

Bruno: Vulcan engine downselect is Blue's to lose
by Jeff Foust — April 5, 2017

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Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos speaks in front of his company's New Shepard suborbital vehicle on display at the 33rd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs April 5. Bezos said the company still plans to start flying people on suborbital space tourism flights by the end of 2018, although the company has yet to start selling tickets or even setting a ticket price. Development of New Shepard, he said, is informing the company's plans for an orbital launch vehicle, New Glenn, that will use the same BE-4 engines that United Launch Alliance is considering for its Vulcan rocket. Credit: Chuck Bigger for SpaceNews

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COLORADO SPRINGS — United Launch Alliance is prepared to sel ect Blue Origin's BE-4 engine for its Vulcan launch vehicle this year if the engine passes an upcoming series of tests, the company's chief executive said April 5.

In an interview during the 33rd Space Symposium here, Tory Bruno said that tests of the BE-4 engine, scheduled to begin "very soon" at Blue Origin's test site in West Texas, are the last major hurdle the engine must clear before ULA decides to use it on Vulcan.

"The economic factors are largely in place now and the thing that is outstanding is the technical risk," Bruno said. "That's why we keep talking about the engine firing."

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A major aspect of the engine tests, he said, is to determine the degree of combustion instability the BE-4 has when the engine starts. "Any time when you are developing a new rocket engine, any time you change the scale or the fuel, you are at risk of this phenomenon," he said. The BE-4 engine is the largest engine developed to date that uses methane as fuel, rather than more common alternatives like kerosene or liquid hydrogen.

"We look first to the combustion instability as the chief technical risk that must be retired before we'd be able to pick an engine," Bruno said. He anticipated a series of tests, lasting for several weeks, where the engine's thrust is gradually increased to measure its performance and determine if it suffers from combustion instability.

Bruno said he was encouraged by tests of some key engine components, including the preburner, a smaller version of the main engine that powers the engine's turbomachinery. "The good news is the preburner is running like a top," he said. "We're starting to get more and more confidence that we're going to have a good experience when we run a full-scale engine."

If the tests all go as planned, Bruno said ULA could be ready to formally sel ect the BE-4 in as soon as 60 to 90 days. "But it could take longer," he added. "It's not on the calendar."

 
Tony Bruno (left), Jeff Bezos and the BE-4 engine at 2014 press conference. Credit: SpaceNews/Brian Berger

Rob Meyerson, president of Blue Origin, confirmed in an April 5 interview that test of the BE-4 will start in the next several weeks. One engine is already at the company's test site, with two more shipping there soon.

"We wanted to go into the test program hardware-rich," he said. With those engines and other equipment at the test site, "we can move through the test program quite rapidly." He said that testing would continue after ULA made its decision, with final certification of the BE-4 planned for late 2018 or early 2019.

While Bruno will make the decision about the engine, he will get plenty of advice. He said he recently established an independent non-advocate review (INR) team of outside experts to review the overall engine evaluation process. That team includes former Secretary of the Air Force Sheila Widnall; retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Susan Mashiko, former deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office; and Ray Johnson, former vice president for space launch operations at the Aerospace Corp.

Bruno said Congress also established a separate INR team, comprised of engineers fr om NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, to review the engine selection process. "I was actually happy to hear that they did that," Bruno said, adding that this team had access to the same data as ULA's own review team.

 
Rob Meyerson, president of Blue Origin, confirmed in an April 5 interview that test of the BE-4 will start in the next several weeks. Credit: Tom Kimmel

Bruno added that he expected the Air Force would also seek access to the test data and provide ULA with its own opinion about the engine. "I will hear all of those opinions and it will be super easy if everybody says the same thing," he said. "If they do not, then we will resolve that. And then we will make a choice."

Aerojet Rocketdyne's AR1 engine remains the alternative for Vulcan should the BE-4 run into technical problems. Development of the AR1 is 18 to 24 months behind the BE-1, he said, because it started later. "I have confidence they can get their engine to work" because of its use of a more conventional fuel, kerosene.

Blue Origin, though, has the financial edge. Bruno said ULA already haa a firm fixed-price deal with Blue Origin for "a large enough quantity" of engines that covers initial Vulcan missions. Those engines will be produced initially at Blue Origin's factory in Kent, Washington.

"Their production capability actually looks quite good," Bruno said of those initial BE-4 engine plans. "My INR heads came back to me and said they are very comfortable with that production capability already."

Later engines will be built at a separate facility Blue Origin plans to develop in the next few years that will be designed to produce dozens of engines a year. "We're in the process of site selection for a full production site," Meyerson said. He declined to identify the locations being considered, but said a decision should be made in the next six months.

Bruno said that he expected to decide on the Vulcan engine this year, but wouldn't be rushed into one. "I get to make this decision, like, once. This is a big decision and if you don't get it right, it's very hard to come back fr om that," he said. "So I'm going to take my time and listen to all these experts and stakeholders and then do it."

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[Salo]

Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 17 мин.17 минут назад
Baker: additional engines would support Atlas 5 launches "well into 2024." #33SS
 
  Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 18 мин.18 минут назад
Baker: our last delivery of RD-180 engines to ULA is in 2019. We expect them to decide soon to purchase more, into 2020-21. #33SS
 
   Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust  53 мин.53 минуты назад  
Mike Baker, RD AMROSS (RD-180 contractor): we're dedicated to supporting ULA's transition to new rocket and engine to avoid gaps. #33SS

[tnt22]

ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch 34 мин. назад

Step onto the launch pad & climb aboard @BoeingDefense's #Starliner atop ULA's #AtlasV for a #ULA360 trip to the ISS

Rocket Launch 360: Atlas V Starliner

3,2,1...liftoff! Take a trip to the International Space Station aboard Boeing's...

[Salo]

http://spacenews.com/rd-180-provider-seeks-additional-ula-engine-order/

RD-180 provider seeks additional ULA engine order
by Jeff Foust — April 7, 2017
 
The head of RD Amross is hopeful ULA will order an additional batch of RD-180 engines for the Atlas 5 as a hedge against any delays in the development of Vulcan. Credit: ULA  
 
COLORADO SPRINGS — The new chief executive of the U.S.-Russian joint venture that provides RD-180 engines to United Launch Alliance said April 6 he hopes to win an order for additional engines.
During a panel on international cooperation at the 33rd Space Symposium, Michael Baker, CEO of RD Amross, said he expected ULA to make a decision in the near future on buying additional engines as a hedge against any delays in the development of the company's Vulcan rocket.
"We would like to make more engines and sell them in the U.S.," said Baker, a former astronaut who became CEO in January after retiring from NASA.
Use of the RD-180 became a political hot potato in 2014, after Russia's annexation of Crimea led to calls by U.S. lawmakers to end reliance on the engine. That debate, which at one point included legislation that sharply reduced the number of RD-180 engines available to ULA for national security missions, was resolved last year with the passage of the fiscal year 2017 defense authorization act that gives ULA access to as many as 18 engines for national security missions through 2022.
By 2022, ULA hopes to have the Vulcan vehicle certified by the U.S. Air Force for such launches, using either a Blue Origin BE-4 engine or an Aerojet Rocketdyne AR1 engine in place of the RD-180. Baker, though, suggested that additional RD-180 engines could provide a cushion should certification of Vulcan be delayed.
"Those developments can have lots of issues, so they're really struggling to decide whether they need some more engines or not," he said of ULA. "I think the decision is going to be made soon to probably buy some more engines."
ULA has not publicly stated any interest in purchasing more RD-180 engines. Use of additional engines would require new language in a future authorization bill, although ULA would be free to use the engines for commercial customers as well as for civil government agencies like NASA.
Baker said ULA would need to make a decision soon, given the two-year lead time for producing new engines. The last RD-180 engines under the current agreement are due to be delivered to ULA in 2019. An additional order, he said, would likely push out that final delivery date to 2020 or 2021, and support launches well into 2024.
Even with an additional engine order, the long-term future of RD Amross is not clear. Russia's NPO Energomash, which builds the RD-180, and United Technologies Corp. are the partners in the joint venture, established in the late 1990s to both import the RD-180 for the Atlas 5 and, ultimately, produce it in the United States. However, domestic production of the RD-180 was never funded.
The Atlas 5 is the only vehicle that currently uses the RD-180. NPO Energomash does provide the RD-181 engine to Orbital ATK for use on its Antares rocket, but those sales are done directly between the companies and not through RD Amross.

[tnt22]

Trevor Kilpatrick‏ @ularocketman 12 апр.

Newest mission patch for @ulalaunch's #AtlasV launching @Boeing's #Starliner capsule! #welaunchedthat

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Tory Bruno‏Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno 2 ч. назад

ULAs small, but mighty navy

http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1150170/delta-mariner-docks-at-vandenberg/

Delta Mariner docks at Vandenberg
 By Staff Sgt. Shane M. Phipps, 30th Space Wing Public Affairs / Published April 12, 2017


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[/B] A cargo ship, the Delta Mariner, prepares to offload rocket components at Vandenberg Air Force Base's dock, April 6, 2017, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The Delta Mariner made its way from a production facility in Decatur, Ala., to deliver a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket, scheduled to launch in 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ian Dudley/Released)
 
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --
A cargo ship, contracted by United Launch Alliance and specifically designed to carry rocket components, recently dropped anchor here, April 6.

The Delta Mariner made its way from a production facility in Decatur, Ala., to deliver a Delta IV rocket, scheduled to launch sometime this year.

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"The Delta Mariner is the only transport method to get the Delta IV rocket here from Decatur," said 1st Lt. Luke Unrath, 4th Space Launch Squadron launch vehicle responsible engineer. "Because of this, the shipping schedule is planned far in advance to ensure delivery well before the rocket is put on-stand."

Anchoring at Vandenberg's sole dock, which is specifically designed to accept the Delta Mariner, the boat is a required form of transportation due to the booster's massive size. Additionally, the delivery will help Vandenberg achieve one of its primary objectives – maintaining assured access to space.

"U.S. Code 2273 policy of the U.S. President states, to the maximum extent practicable, the U.S. has the capabilities necessary to launch and ins ert national security payloads into space whenever such payloads are needed in space," said 1st Lt. Jessica Dixon Galbreath, 4th SLS Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle launch mission manager. "This is also known as assured access to space. The arrival of the Delta Mariner and offload of the Delta IV hardware helped achieve the assured access to space required by the U.S. President."

In a carefully orchestrated manner, civilian and military members alike will continue to work tirelessly -- from the time rocket components arrive piece by piece to the moment the payload successfully reaches polar-orbit,

"The 4th SLS provides mission assurance for the Air Force throughout the entire process," said Unrath. "From delivery to Vandenberg, through the stacking process, to the day of launch, the 4th is the lynchpin between United Launch Alliance and the Space and Missile Center. Risk mitigation is another critical role we play throughout the entire process."

Despite logistical challenges like uncooperative weather, members of the 4th SLS, and their civilian partners, worked cohesively to ensure the offload was a success.

"We worked with ULA, Foss Maritime and the NRO, to ensure a successful offload," said Dixon Galbreath. "The land based weather and maritime weather were challenges which delayed the original offload date, but we se t-up daily meetings with our partners to discuss the feasibility of offloading the next chance we had – and it ended up being a success! ULA, Foss Maritime and the 4th SLS did a fantastic job working together to make it all happen."

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[tnt22]

http://www.ulalaunch.com/ruag-space-ramps-up-its-new-decatur-facility-.aspx

RUAG Space Ramps Up its New Decatur Facility

Located within United Launch Alliance's Decatur rocket factory, the two strategic partners plan to create 100 new American Jobs by 2019

Decatur, Ala. (April 13, 2017) – RUAG will soon manufacture carbon fiber structures in the U.S., as the company steadily progresses with their build-up of a new facility within United Launch Alliance's Decatur rocket factory. In January, ULA presented RUAG Space the keys to its 132,000 square foot facility, and work began immediately to prepare the space for the future production and assembly line of the RUAG payload fairings and interstage adapters. Being located within ULA's overall 1.6-million-square-foot factory area ensures a direct link to the customer and facilitates integration.

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"We could not be more pleased to have RUAG Space co-located with us in Decatur and bring 100 new, high-tech jobs to America," said Tory Bruno, ULA's president and CEO. "RUAG Space has been a strong partner on our Atlas program for more than a decade, and now we look forward to continuing our collaboration on our new Vulcan Centaur rocket as we transform the future of launch to make space more affordable and accessible."  

"RUAG has a 'customer-first' approach – and establishing a manufacturing facility in such close proximity to ULA is strong proof of this. The co-location will significantly reduce costs and facilitate integration of our products in ULA's manufacturing line. At the same time, we are able to further grow our footprint in the U.S., relying on a strong local workforce," says Peter Guggenbach, CEO of RUAG Space.

Until now, RUAG Space has built the Atlas V 5.4-meter payload fairing system and the interstage adapter in Zurich and Emmen, Switzerland. This work, plus the production of several new structures now will be manufactured locally in Alabama. The ribbon cutting for the new facility will be late spring 2017.

...

About RUAG Space
RUAG Space is the leading independent supplier of products for the space industry in Europe, with a growing presence in the United States. With sites across six countries, it specializes in products for use aboard satellites and launch vehicles. Its capabilities cover four areas: structures and separation systems for launch vehicles, structures and mechanisms for satellites, digital electronics for satellites and launch vehicles, and satellite communications equipment. RUAG Space is part of the international technology group RUAG, with headquarters in Switzerland. www.ruag.com

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Недавно в комментариях писали про магазин атрибутики у SpaceX.
ULA подошла к этому очень основательно http://www.ulalaunchstore.com/
Для футболок и выбор миссии, и цвет http://www.ulalaunchstore.com/mission-shirts/
И даже носки и галстуки http://www.ulalaunchstore.com/men/      
И даже модельки http://www.ulalaunchstore.com/models/

В Заказах - кажется только по США и исполнитель rlk-inc.com 

[tnt22]

https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/04/18/ula-chief-says-blue-origin-in-drivers-seat-for-vulcan-engine-deal/

ULA chief says Blue Origin in driver's seat for Vulcan engine deal
 April 18, 2017 Stephen Clark

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The first fully-assembled BE-4 engine. Credit: Blue Origin

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A full-scale BE-4 engine developed by Blue Origin, the space company founded by Amazon.com's Jeff Bezos, is installed on a test stand in West Texas for a series of hotfire tests that United Launch Alliance will closely examine before settling on the reusable methane-fueled engine for its new-generation Vulcan rocket.

If the engine firings are successful, ULA will likely sel ect the BE-4 engine for the first stage of the Vulcan booster set to begin launching by the end of 2019, according to Tory Bruno, ULA's president and chief executive.

ULA will decide between Blue Origin's BE-4 engine and the kerosene-fueled AR1 powerplant fr om Aerojet Rocketdyne, a more traditional aerospace supplier.

But the BE-4 is ahead of the AR1 in development, and Bruno said ULA will go with the Blue Origin-built engine as soon as the first series of test-firings are successfully accomplished.

"When that engine begins its testing and we collect enough data, we'll be able to decide if the engine is going to work and meet the performance requirements," Bruno said April 4 at the 33rd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. "When that data is in hand, then we'll make the down-selection. I expect that to be this year."

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Blue Origin kicked off development of the BE-4 engine for its own launcher several years before ULA approached Bezos's company. Bruno and Bezos announced the engine partnership in September 2015, a few months before ULA unveiled the name and basic design of the Vulcan launch vehicle.

At the time, full-scale testing of the BE-4 engine was expected to begin before the end of 2016. A timetable for the first full-scale BE-4 hotfire test has not been released, but officials fr om ULA and Blue Origin said the first test engine has been installed on a firing stand at Bezos's West Texas test facility for final checks.

Rob Meyerson, president of Blue Origin, said April 5 that the first firing of the test engine would occur "very soon."

 
Rob Meyerson, Blue Origin's president, presents a photo of the BE-4 engine being mounted on a test stand in West Texas during remarks at the 33rd Space Symposium on April 5. Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now

According to Bruno, the hotfire tests will eliminate sufficient risk in the engine's development to permit ULA to settle on the BE-4 as the main propulsion system for the Vulcan booster stage.

Despite a delay of several months in the start of full-scale BE-4 testing, Bruno said the Vulcan rocket is still on track for a maiden flight by the end of 2019 if Blue Origin ends up the winner in ULA's engine test-off.

"Assuming we can make this decision in a reasonable span of time, yes," Bruno told reporters on the sidelines of the Space Symposium. "If we're on the BE-4, it's a pretty clear schedule. If the BE-4 is not going to work out and we sel ect AR1, they're further behind, so that puts a little more pressure on that schedule ... If we had to sel ect the AR1, I cannot fly it by 2019."

ULA will introduce the Vulcan launcher in phases, eventually replacing the company's Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rocket fleets in the 2020s.

The first step is developing a new high-power engine to replace the Russian-made RD-180 engine currently flying on the Atlas 5's first stage, followed by work on a new upper stage to replace the Centaur second stage, which is based on a 1960s-era design.

The advanced upper stage will be capable of refueling in space and can generate its own electricity with an on-board fuel cell, allowing it to loiter in orbit for weeks or months to conduct multiple missions as a space tug.

If ULA decides on the BE-4 as the RD-180's replacement, the Vulcan's first stage will be powered by two of the commercially-developed and privately-funded engines, each generating about 550,000 pounds of thrust at full throttle.

The U.S. Air Force last year committed more than $46 million of government funding to partially pay for the cost of accommodating the BE-4 engines on the Vulcan's first stage.

 
Artist's concept of ULA's Vulcan rocket, powered by two BE-4 engines and strap-on solid rocket boosters. Credit: ULA

Development of the BE-4 engine itself is a commercial effort, primarily funded by Blue Origin, with additional investment by ULA. Officials have not disclosed the BE-4's development cost, but Bruno said new rocket engines of its scale have typically cost about $1 billion to design, test, and certify.

The Air Force has obligated at least $115 million to the AR1 engine project in a cost-sharing arrangement with ULA and Aerojet Rocketdyne.

ULA engineers are designing two versions of the Vulcan first stage in case company managers pick either of the candidate engines.

Both engines use oxygen-rich staged combustion technology, a technique that minimizes propellant waste during launch. The BE-4 will burn a combination of super-cold liquified natural gas and liquid oxygen, while the AR1 consumes kerosene fuel at room temperature.

In the case of the BE-4, the Vulcan first stage will measure around 16.7 feet (5.1 meters) in diameter. The wider propellant tanks are needed to hold the BE-4's methane fuel, which is less dense than the RP-1 kerosene fuel used by the RD-180 and AR1.

The AR1 variant of the Vulcan launcher would have a first stage closer in design to the Atlas 5, which has a diameter of about 12.5 feet (3.8 meters). The AR1 engine will produce more than 500,000 pounds of thrust at sea level.

Aerojet Rocketdyne says the AR1 is the lowest-risk engine option for the Vulcan and offers the fastest path to end ULA's reliance on Russian engines to send U.S. military payloads into orbit.

 
Artist's illustration of the twin AR1 engine package proposed by Aerojet Rocketdyne for the Vulcan rocket. Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne

Both engine candidates are designed to cost less than similarly-sized U.S.-made rocket engines, such as the RS-68 engine on the Delta 4 rocket and the reusable RS-25 engine built for the space shuttle and now being modified for NASA's huge Space Launch System.

ULA launches the lion's share of U.S. national security satellites, but its hold on the military launch market has loosened with SpaceX now allowed to compete for Pentagon launch contracts.

Bruno said the both versions of the Vulcan will have a lengthened first stage to hold more propellant, taking full advantage of the power of the twin BE-4 or AR1 engines, which will deliver over a million pounds of combined thrust, higher than the 860,000 pounds of thrust fr om the RD-180 engine.

Blue Origin kicked off the design of the BE-4 engine in 2011, and ULA officials previously said the BE-4 development schedule was about two years ahead of the AR1's timeline.

Bruno said Blue Origin originally intended the BE-4 to produce about 400,000 pounds of thrust. The engine was initially conceived for Blue Origin's own orbital launcher, now named New Glenn.

Blue Origin agreed to increase the power of the BE-4 for ULA, Bruno said.

The head start and steady funding stream fr om Bezos, who is now ranked as the second-richest person in the world, give the BE-4 an advantage in the competition with the AR1, Bruno said.

"Normally, when you're developing an engine, you start testing at a relatively low-scale — 10, 20 sometimes 25 percent — and you test components, then you jump to full-scale," Bruno said. "Blue was already developing this engine for their New Glenn vehicle when we entered our partnership.

"They were at 400,000 pounds of thrust. We asked them to increase it to 550, which they've done," he said. "But that meant that when we started working together, they already had hardware at 80 percent scale. They finished testing that hardware, and now they're at 100 percent scale."

The AR1 engine's development got a "cold start" when ULA started working with Aerojet Rocketdyne, Bruno said.

"They're still at the sub-scale component level," Bruno said. "They've been testing their preburner, which is like a miniature version of their main engine's combustion chamber that powers the powerpack, so they've been testing that and other components.

"Both of them are doing fine, but they just happen to be in different places on those development timelines," he said.

 
ULA chief executive Tory Bruno. Credit: Space Foundation

Meyerson said the BE-4 engine can be recovered and reused up to 100 times. Seven BE-4 engines will propel the company's heavy-lift New Glenn rocket into space.

Engineers contend the methane fuel used on the BE-4 makes it easier to reuse than kerosene-fueled engines like the AR1 and SpaceX's Merlin powerplant, leaving less soot and other contaminants that might need to be cleaned out between flights.

In an update emailed to news media last month, Bezos said Blue Origin's engineers installed new hydrostatic bearings inside the BE-4 turbopump to replace traditional ball and roller bearings, reducing contact between engine parts between startup and shutdown as the the pump produces 70,000 horsepower fr om a turbine spinning at 19,000 rpm.

"Why do we go to all this trouble instead of just using traditional bearings? Engine life," Bezos wrote. "We're relentlessly focused on reusability, and properly designed hydrostatic bearings offer the potential for longer engine life without refurbishment. This is one of the many engineering decisions we've made that we hope will lead to reusability – not just in principle – but to practical, operational reusability."

ULA plans to begin recovering the Vulcan's BE-4 engines, if they are selected, around 2024 using a giant parafoil that can be plucked out of the sky with a helicopter. The first stage structure will crash into the ocean and be discarded.

ULA officials say their approach salvages the engines, which represent about 70 percent of the cost of the first stage, without reserving fuel and adding steering and landing mechanisms for flyback maneuvers like SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.

Bruno called SpaceX's reflight of a previously-used Falcon 9 rocket stage March 30 a "tremendous engineering accomplishment."

"The notion of booster recovery has been around for a long time, as well as things like single stage to oribt, which implies recovery, so I think it was a great accomplishment, and I had total confidence that they would get it done," Bruno said.

"The reason you do it is an economic reason," he said. "It's in order to lower the cost of what would otherwise be a fully expendable launch service. The jury is still out on what is the best way to do that. They have a full booster recovey concept. We're working on a concept wh ere we recover just the engines because it turns out two-thirds of the price of that booster is in literally one part — it's just the engine."

The BE-4 is, by far, the most powerful methane-fueled rocket engine ever built. That adds to the importance of the upcoming ground test campaign in West Texas, according to Bruno.

"Whenever you develop a new liquid rocket engine, if you change the fuel, or if you stay with the same fuel and change the scale of the engine, or if you keep the scale, keep the fuel but change the thermodynamic cycle ... Any one of those three variables can create a situation we call combustion instability," Bruno said.

All three variables are new with the BE-4.

"It's just like if you went out to start your car (in cold weather), you start it up and it idles rough for a few minutes, and then it warms up and everything's cool," he said. "That is actually combustion instability in your car's engine.

"When a rocket engine is sitting there putting out hundreds of thousands of horsepower, those few seconds can tear your engine up," Bruno said. "So it's one of the technical issues we deal with in engine development.

"Blue Origin's engine is methane," he added. "This will the largest scale we've ever done in methane, therefore, combustion instability is an inherent technical risk."

The first sequence of BE-4 hotfire tests will tell engineers if the engine has any such hiccups at startup.

"It's not unusual, by the way, to have some instability when you develop a new engine," Bruno said. "There are tried and true techniques that you apply to smooth that out. If they work right way, you're usually home free. I've never developed an engine that I didn't have to tune, but I have been in situations wh ere you tried the tried and true things, then nothing works, and nine months later you're still stuck. That's the risk we're retiring here."

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tnt22 пишет:
The advanced upper stage will be capable of refueling in space and can generate its own electricity with an on-board fuel cell, allowing it to loiter in orbit for weeks or months to conduct multiple missions as a space tug.

О, смотрите. Не копируют Маска с его reusability, а делают что-то своё и по-своему. А делать такое же или подобное тому, как у конкурента -- это сразу же записать себя в догоняющие, отстающие то-есть.