### ULA’s Vulcan Rocket Delays and Stoke Space’s Advancements: A Glimpse into Recent Space Industry Developments
The space sector is advancing rapidly, with fresh milestones, challenges, and innovations defining the path of orbital exploration and commercial space ventures. This week, two major entities—United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Stoke Space—find themselves at crucial stages in their journeys. ULA is experiencing delays with its Vulcan rocket, while Stoke Space is making progress in creating its fully reusable launch vehicle. Here’s a detailed overview of these developments and other significant happenings within the space industry.
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### **ULA’s Vulcan Rocket: Delays and Obstacles**
The Vulcan rocket from United Launch Alliance (ULA), a vital element for the company’s future in the competitive launch arena, is currently experiencing notable delays. The rocket’s upcoming flight, a national security mission for the U.S. Space Force, is now expected to occur no sooner than April 2025. This mission represents the third flight of the Vulcan rocket, following two previous test flights aimed at collecting data for its certification.
#### **Challenges and Investigations**
The setback arises from an anomaly encountered during the second test flight, where one of Vulcan’s solid rocket boosters had its nozzle detach shortly after launch. Although the rocket successfully accomplished its orbital mission, the incident triggered an investigation. ULA has indicated that it is nearing a conclusion on the cause of the problem, but the certification process overseen by the U.S. Space Force has progressed more slowly than anticipated. The Space Force has stated that more data is needed to finalize the assessment, extending the timeline for Vulcan’s certification into early 2025.
#### **Consequences for ULA**
This delay poses a substantial hurdle for ULA, which has been working to hold its ground against SpaceX in the commercial and national security launch markets. Vulcan is intended to succeed ULA’s aging Atlas V and Delta IV rockets, providing a more economical and adaptable solution. However, these delays may jeopardize ULA’s chances of obtaining future contracts and sustaining its industry standing.
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### **Stoke Space: Advancements Toward Complete Reusability**
As ULA deals with delays, Stoke Space is successfully advancing towards its ambitious objective of creating a fully reusable orbital rocket. The company has recently named its methane-fueled booster engine, “Zenith,” which will drive the initial stage of its Nova rocket. This engine features a full-flow staged combustion cycle, a highly efficient and intricate design only previously utilized by SpaceX’s Raptor engine.
#### **Testing Achievements**
Stoke Space has just completed a hot-fire test of the “Block 2” variant of the Zenith engine at its testing site in Moses Lake, Washington. This represents a crucial leap forward in the development of the Nova rocket, which is designed to carry payloads of up to 5 metric tons (11,000 pounds) to low-Earth orbit. The second stage of the Nova rocket will be powered by a hydrogen-fueled propulsion system, further boosting its reusability and efficiency.
#### **Looking Forward**
Stoke Space’s achievements highlight the intensifying rivalry in the reusable rocket sector, currently led by SpaceX. By adopting an innovative strategy and emphasizing complete reusability, Stoke Space is establishing itself as a formidable player in the upcoming generation of space launch systems.
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### **Additional Industry Highlights**
#### **Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket**
Blue Origin is also in a race against time to launch its New Glenn rocket. The company has recently performed a cryogenic propellant loading test but has yet to execute a critical hot-fire test of the rocket’s seven BE-4 engines. While a 2024 launch is theoretically attainable, the timeline remains tight, and Blue Origin’s urgency reflects the high stakes involved.
#### **European Space Agency’s Themis Program**
In Europe, progress on the Themis reusable booster demonstrator is slow but steady. ArianeGroup has recently accomplished a “full-fit check” of the Themis vehicle, a crucial milestone that prepares the way for initial test flights in 2025. Nevertheless, the program has encountered significant delays, raising concerns about its capacity to meet its long-term objectives.
#### **China’s Guowang Megaconstellation**
China has initiated the rollout of the first batch of satellites for its Guowang megaconstellation, which aims to deploy up to 13,000 Internet satellites over the next ten years. This initiative parallels SpaceX’s Starlink network and underscores China’s aspirations to compete in the global satellite Internet arena.
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### **Looking Ahead: Upcoming Launches**
The space industry shows no signs of deceleration, with numerous launches planned in the ensuing days:
– **Dec. 21:** SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch the “Astranis: From One to Many” mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
– **Dec. 21:** Another Falcon 9 will transport the Bandwagon
