Vulcan rocket fails during launch, dealing major blow to SpaceX competitors
Also reported by CBS News
Summary
United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket failed to reach orbit after an anomaly during a launch carrying 40 Amazon Leo broadband satellites. The failure is expected to ground Vulcan while engineers investigate, affecting Amazon’s launch plans and the rocket’s planned role in U.S. military space missions.Key Facts
- Vulcan lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 12:40 p.m. EDT on Sunday.
- The rocket carried 40 Amazon Leo broadband satellites on the first of 38 Vulcan launches booked by Amazon.
- ULA said an anomaly occurred about 10 minutes into the flight and the rocket failed to deliver its payload to orbit.
- The two BE-4 main engines continued firing for at least 30 seconds beyond their planned shutdown time.
- Vulcan began spinning shortly after its booster engines shut down, according to launch telemetry shown during the broadcast.
- The anomaly appeared to involve the booster stage, but its cause was not yet known.
- ULA said it would investigate the failure and determine corrective actions.
- Vulcan is contracted to launch roughly half of U.S. national security space missions in the next few years.
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