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DannyB [soylentnews.org] writes:

With further delays to BE-4 rocket engine, Vulcan may not make 2022 debut [arstechnica.com]

Blue Origin is unlikely to deliver two flight-ready versions of the BE-4 rocket engine to United Launch Alliance (ULA) before at least the second quarter of 2022, two sources say. This increases the possibility that the debut flight of ULA's much-anticipated new rocket, Vulcan, could slip into 2023.

Vulcan's first stage is powered by two BE-4 engines, which burn methane and are more powerful than the space shuttle's main engines. The sources said there recently was a "relatively small" production issue with fabrication of the flight engines at Blue Origin's factory in Kent, Washington.

As a result of this, the engines will not be completed and shipped to the company's test stands in West Texas until next year. Once there, each engine must be unpacked, tested, and then re-configured to be moved to ULA's rocket assembly facility in northern Alabama. A reasonable "no-earlier-than" date for the engines' arrival at the rocket manufacturer is now April 2022, and this assumes a smooth final production and testing phase.

[....] However, it now seems far from certain that Vulcan will make its debut in 2022. And there is a lot riding on this rocket and its timely debut, which will replace both the Atlas and Delta rockets that ULA has flown. The US military is counting on Vulcan to lift about 60 percent [af.mil] of the nation's national security payloads into space from 2022 to 2027.

Fortunately, SpaceX is certified to life national security payloads, but was given only 40% of the contract to do so. The other 60% going to ULA based on Blue Origin's still not ready BE-4 engines.

See Also:

ULA's Vulcan Rocket Could be Delayed by BE-4 Engine Problems [soylentnews.org]

Blue Origin Historic First Human Flight of its New Shepard System Successful [UPDATES 1] [soylentnews.org]

Blue Origin Employees Are Jumping Ship [soylentnews.org]

Monday Launch from California Begins Countdown to Atlas 5 Retirement [soylentnews.org]

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