That's a methalox booster... LOX tank is smaller and fuel tank larger than on Atlas.
Tory just tweeted this graphic: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/987473611672858624Looks like Vulcan will use a common bulkhead. Was that known before?
Quote from: envy887 on 04/21/2018 03:29 amThat'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.
Quote from: Lars-J on 04/21/2018 12:03 amTory just tweeted this graphic: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/987473611672858624Looks 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.
Thanks ethan829. Maybe they were considering both options.
Quote from: Steven Pietrobon on 04/22/2018 04:06 amThanks ethan829. Maybe they were considering both options.CDR selected the Common Bulkhead path for all planned stages.
Quote from: russianhalo117 on 04/22/2018 05:39 pmQuote from: Steven Pietrobon on 04/22/2018 04:06 amThanks 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?
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
QuoteGoosebumps 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 #OutofAutoclavehttps://twitter.com/peterguggenbach/status/990920423654215680
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
United Launch Alliance Selects Aerojet Rocketdyne’s RL10 Engine for Next-generation Vulcan Centaur Upper StageCentennial, 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.
Consolation prize? (not that an RL10C & (X) isn't deserving)
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.