ULA rolls out the latest Vulcan Centaur rocket to replace the Russian-powered Delta IV and Atlas V for the first time

ULA will launch its latest rocket, the Vulcan Centaur, for the first time this year. It has already been rolled out to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Here's What We Know

The launch is scheduled for May 4, 2023. The rocket has been rolled out of the hangar, not for beauty's sake, but to conduct a test refueling. In a few days, Vulcan Centaur will go back into the hangar, where the company's specialists will conduct a series of tests and complete the assembly.

The rocket has no payload yet, but it can put a cargo of 27.2 tonnes into orbit. It was fueled with liquefied natural gas and liquid oxygen. ULA has also checked whether the ground infrastructure of Launch Complex #41 is ready for the May launch.

The Vulcan Centaur, if successful, will be a replacement for two rockets at once: the Atlas V and Delta IV. Both are equipped with Russian RD-180 engines. ULA's first stage rocket has two BE-4 engines. They were developed by Blue Origin, but have never been flown yet.

Source: space