Author Topic: ULA Vulcan Launch Vehicle (as announced/built) - General Discussion Thread 3  (Read 972141 times)

Offline envy887

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8144
  • Liked: 6801
  • Likes Given: 2965
That's a methalox booster... LOX tank is smaller and fuel tank larger than on Atlas.

Offline hkultala

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1199
  • Liked: 748
  • Likes Given: 945
That's a methalox booster... LOX tank is smaller and fuel tank larger than on Atlas.

No, LOX tank is also bigger but fuel tank is bigger by much greater margin.


Offline Steven Pietrobon

  • Member
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 39215
  • Adelaide, Australia
    • Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive
  • Liked: 32735
  • Likes Given: 8178
Tory just tweeted this graphic: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/987473611672858624

Looks like Vulcan will use a common bulkhead. Was that known before?

Yes. When the first video was shown, there was only a small frost free gap between the LOX and LNG tanks, indicating a common bulkhead.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline envy887

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8144
  • Liked: 6801
  • Likes Given: 2965
That's a methalox booster... LOX tank is smaller and fuel tank larger than on Atlas.

No, LOX tank is also bigger but fuel tank is bigger by much greater margin.

Yeah I should have said longer.

Offline ethan829

Tory just tweeted this graphic: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/987473611672858624

Looks like Vulcan will use a common bulkhead. Was that known before?

Yes. When the first video was shown, there was only a small frost free gap between the LOX and LNG tanks, indicating a common bulkhead.


I'm not sure about this. I have this image from mid-2016 (I think it came from a ULA presentation shortly after the PDR but can't confirm for sure) which shows separate tanks and an intertank section.

Offline Steven Pietrobon

  • Member
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 39215
  • Adelaide, Australia
    • Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive
  • Liked: 32735
  • Likes Given: 8178
Thanks ethan829. Maybe they were considering both options.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline russianhalo117

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8755
  • Liked: 4672
  • Likes Given: 768
Thanks ethan829. Maybe they were considering both options.
CDR selected the Common Bulkhead path for all planned stages.

Offline Lars-J

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6809
  • California
  • Liked: 8485
  • Likes Given: 5384
Thanks ethan829. Maybe they were considering both options.
CDR selected the Common Bulkhead path for all planned stages.

Interesting. Because the intertank area is where the Helium storage is located for Atlas V. Either they are relocating them to the engine section, or are they going for autogenous pressurization on the Vulcan first stage?

Offline russianhalo117

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8755
  • Liked: 4672
  • Likes Given: 768
Thanks ethan829. Maybe they were considering both options.
CDR selected the Common Bulkhead path for all planned stages.

Interesting. Because the intertank area is where the Helium storage is located for Atlas V. Either they are relocating them to the engine section, or are they going for autogenous pressurization on the Vulcan first stage?

The graphic linked in this quote shows what looks like COPV's just above the first stage engines as well as on Centaur-V.

Tory just tweeted this graphic: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/987473611672858624

Looks like Vulcan will use a common bulkhead. Was that known before?


Online FutureSpaceTourist

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 48176
  • UK
    • Plan 28
  • Liked: 81675
  • Likes Given: 36940
Quote
Goosebumps guaranteed: The de-molding of our first #MadeInUSA payload fairing manufactured in Decatur, Alabama has been carried out successfully. I am overly proud of our team! @RuagSpace @CityofDecaturAL @ulalaunch #OutofAutoclave

https://twitter.com/peterguggenbach/status/990920423654215680

Offline Lars-J

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6809
  • California
  • Liked: 8485
  • Likes Given: 5384
Quote
Goosebumps guaranteed: The de-molding of our first #MadeInUSA payload fairing manufactured in Decatur, Alabama has been carried out successfully. I am overly proud of our team! @RuagSpace @CityofDecaturAL @ulalaunch #OutofAutoclave

https://twitter.com/peterguggenbach/status/990920423654215680

This is an Atlas Fairing, not a Vulcan fairing, unless I am mistaken. (But the Vulcan fairing will be made in the US as well)

Quote
ULA officially announces that it will use the RL10 upper stage engine for the Vulcan rocket's Centaur upper stage.

“ULA and Aerojet Rocketdyne have a long and successful history together that began with the first flight of our Atlas and Delta rockets in the 1960s. We could not be more pleased to have selected the proven and reliable RL10.”
- Tory Bruno

https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/994973534077284352

https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/994973797273960448

Online FutureSpaceTourist

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 48176
  • UK
    • Plan 28
  • Liked: 81675
  • Likes Given: 36940
Quote
United Launch Alliance Selects Aerojet Rocketdyne’s RL10 Engine for Next-generation Vulcan Centaur Upper Stage

Centennial, Colo., May 11, 2018 – United Launch Alliance (ULA) today announced Aerojet Rocketdyne as a strategic partner for the RL10 upper stage engine for ULA’s next-generation Vulcan Centaur rocket following a competitive procurement process.

“ULA and Aerojet Rocketdyne have a long and successful history together that began with the first flight of our Atlas and Delta rockets in the 1960s,” said Tory Bruno, ULA president and CEO. “We could not be more pleased to have selected the proven and reliable RL10 to power our Vulcan Centaur upper stage.”

This partnership is a long-term agreement for Aerojet Rocketdyne to provide upper stage propulsion for the next decade. As part of this partnership, Aerojet Rocketdyne will provide RL10s and develop the RL10C-X, the next generation of the RL10 family. The RL10C-X will increase the use of additive manufacturing and introduce other advanced technologies to improve the quality, reliability, affordability and performance. 

“Key determining factors to our selection included price and delivery schedule,” said Bruno. “We look forward to continuing our strong partnership to ensure a successful introduction of Vulcan Centaur.”

Over the course of nearly 60 years, more than 450 RL10 engines have flown on various ULA heritage vehicles with an unmatched record of mission success.

ULA continues its competitive procurement process for the booster engine and plans to make a down select soon.

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 125 satellites to orbit that provide critical capabilities for troops in the field, aid meteorologists in tracking severe weather, enable personal device-based GPS navigation and unlock the mysteries of our solar system.

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.

https://www.ulalaunch.com/about/news/2018/05/11/united-launch-alliance-selects-aerojet-rocketdyne-s-rl10-engine-for-next-generation-vulcan-centaur-upper-stage

Offline rcoppola

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2355
  • USA
  • Liked: 1967
  • Likes Given: 970
Consolation prize? (not that an RL10C & (X) isn't deserving)
Sail the oceans of space and set foot upon new lands!
http://www.stormsurgemedia.com

Offline Lars-J

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6809
  • California
  • Liked: 8485
  • Likes Given: 5384
They probably don't want to be too dependent on Blue Origin for both engines. But now they are stuck with Aerojet Rocketdyne instead. And have to fly multiple RL-10's on every Vulcan flight. I sure hope they got a good price on those engines in the contract.

Offline Star One

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13997
  • UK
  • Liked: 3974
  • Likes Given: 220
Consolation prize? (not that an RL10C & (X) isn't deserving)

That’s my thinking and a pretty clear indication Blue Origin has won the first stage engine contract.

Offline russianhalo117

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8755
  • Liked: 4672
  • Likes Given: 768
Consolation prize? (not that an RL10C & (X) isn't deserving)
RL10C family was born out of the CECE demonstrator which had modern updated technologies incorporated in its development cycle. All engines are Hydrolox and Methalox (designed but not tested) capable.
RL10C-1 was developed for Atlas-V Upgrades programme and is pre additive manufactured and its new 3D printed variant is the RL10C-5-1 which will debut on OATK's OmegA.
RL10C-2 was developed for DIV Upgrades programme and is pre additive manufactured and its new 3D printed variant is expected to be RL10C-5-2.
RL10C-3 is for SLS is pre additive manufactured and its new 3D printed variant is expected to be RL10C-5-3.
RL10C-4 is operational version of CECE and its new 3D printed variant is expected to be RL10C-5-4.
RL10C-5 is the designator for the RL10C sub-family of 3D printed variants to replace all previous production models.


Now keep in mind that the engines for Centaur V were never up for competition so the decision was an expected formality as contracts are initiated ahead of the first Vulcan flight. The Competition for ACES engines is still underway for a couple of more years.
« Last Edit: 05/14/2018 04:00 pm by russianhalo117 »

Offline Tomness

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 660
  • Into the abyss will I run
  • Liked: 289
  • Likes Given: 737
I am surprised they didn't spin it as win win for ULA, Aerojet Rocketdyne , Orbital ATK, strategic partnerships between all three using mass of scale & modern techniques. Vulcan & OmegA tag team bro-mance providing american assured access to space.
« Last Edit: 05/12/2018 07:43 am by Tomness »

Offline Ronsmytheiii

  • Moderator
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 23394
  • Liked: 1879
  • Likes Given: 1023
They probably don't want to be too dependent on Blue Origin for both engines. But now they are stuck with Aerojet Rocketdyne instead. And have to fly multiple RL-10's on every Vulcan flight. I sure hope they got a good price on those engines in the contract.


Also remember that the while RL-10s will be on the Centaur V stage, an engine for ACES has not been decided on. ULA probably went with a variant to an existing engine to simplify and shorten development time, after all the most important thing they need to do is replace the RD-180 as quickly as possible.
« Last Edit: 05/12/2018 10:10 am by Ronsmytheiii »

Offline Star One

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13997
  • UK
  • Liked: 3974
  • Likes Given: 220
I wonder if Vulcan will be able to win any commercial contracts when it’s going to be up against such stiff competition. Or just relegated to what government launches it can win.

 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
0