Congratulations ULA

[billvon 3,088]

Congratulations to the United Launch Alliance for a successful launch of their Vulcan booster.  This is noteworthy for a few reasons, including the use of methalox engines (same fuel as the Starship uses.)  It's much cheaper and cleaner than the normal kerosene/LOX engines most other vehicles use.  It also takes strapon boosters the same way the Atlas did, which allows "tuning" of the lift capacity for lighter/heavier loads or lower/higher orbital velocities.

(The top stage is a standard NASA developed upper stage.)

Currently it's not competitive with the Falcon 9, so it's unsure where this will go.  It may be that the ULA just wants someone to buy them out to get a working launcher, and then they get their payday.  Or they may be banking on Musk crashing and burning and taking SpaceX with it; the government has already hinted they won't use SpaceX if their top management are doing drugs.  Or, more of a long shot, they may be trying to make it reusable and therefore cheaper.  They have floated a few somewhat out there strategies, including the engine section sprouting helicopter blades and spinning in for a landing, and a method where they snag it as it goes by with a helicopter.  But they'll need $$$ and time to develop any of that.

[TriGirl 339]

I presume this Vulcan launch was from the California facility?  I deal incidentally with ULA a few times a year in Florida, so I will be interested to hear if they present this accomplishment the next time we're there.