SpaceTrending
ULA's Vulcan rocket is scheduled to launch 40 Amazon Leo satellites from Cape Canaveral on November 14 at 12:32 p.m. EST, following a one-day delay caused by a nitrogen plant power interruption.
United Launch Alliance (ULA) is scheduled to launch its Vulcan rocket on Saturday, November 14, at 12:32:30 p.m. EST (1732:30 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The rocket will carry 40 Amazon Leo satellites to low Earth orbit.
The launch was delayed by one day after a power interruption at an Air Liquide gaseous nitrogen plant resulted in the loss of high-pressure pumps. ULA stated that the rocket and the 40 Amazon Leo satellites remain healthy. The launch will be the first flight of a redesigned booster nozzle and the first flight of a Vulcan in the VC6L configuration, which uses six side-mounted solid rocket boosters built by Northrop Grumman and a 70-foot-long payload fairing. It will also be the first flight of a Blue Origin-manufactured BE-4 engine since a New Glenn rocket exploded on the pad during a test in May.
This mission is the first of 38 Vulcan launches Amazon has purchased with ULA. Amazon Leo plans to eventually consist of more than 3,200 satellites. About 400 satellites have reached space to date on 15 launches conducted by three different rockets: the Atlas V, SpaceX's Falcon 9, and Arianespace's Ariane 6. If all goes according to plan, the satellites will begin separating about 70 minutes after liftoff, roughly 285 miles up, in 16 separation events over about 25 minutes.
SpaceX plans to launch its Starship megarocket on Friday, November 13, on a test mission that will feature the first-ever catch attempt of the vehicle's Ship upper stage. Rocket Lab is scheduled to launch its 100th-ever mission at 12:30 a.m. EST on Saturday, November 14.
The launch marks Vulcan's return to flight after a nine-month pause prompted by solid rocket booster nozzle malfunctions. The U.S. Space Force paused national security launches on Vulcan until the company addresses the problem, and the investigation into the most recent failure remains open.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
The day's checked news, by email
One short email a day with the top stories. Free, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
Or follow for the latest news:
No comments yet. Start the discussion.
United Launch Alliance plans to launch its Vulcan rocket on Friday, carrying 40 Amazon Leo broadband satellites, after a nine-month pause following a booster nozzle malfunction.
SpaceTrending
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have found the oldest pair of supermassive black hole-powered quasars, seen 900 million years after the Big Bang.
