To the Stars We Propel with Vulcan and Hera

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) is on the brink of a significant milestone as it gears up for the second flight of its Vulcan Centaur rocket, an event anticipated this week with immense excitement. This mission, designated Certification Flight 2 (Cert-2), is pivotal in completing Vulcan’s certification with the U.S. Space Force (USSF). Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral is scheduled for Friday, October 4, at 6:00 AM EDT, encompassing a three-hour launch window.

This mission not only represents a vital step in ULA’s ambitions but also showcases the evolution of launch vehicle technology. Vulcan Centaur, a two-stage heavy-lift rocket made to accommodate national security needs, builds upon the technologies of ULA’s successful Atlas V and Delta IV rockets. The rocket features a core that burns a mixture of liquid methane and oxygen through two BE-4 engines, flanked by two Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM) 63XL solid rocket boosters that provide additional thrust during the initial ascent. This innovative design aims to enhance payload capacity and reliability.

In a notable shift from initial plans, the Dreamchaser Tenacity, developed by Sierra Space, will not participate in this flight. ULA removed it from the Cert-2 mission due to extended testing needs, with Tenacity now projected to fly with Vulcan’s sixth mission slated for March 2025. Instead, the Cert-2 mission will carry a mass simulator along with various experiments and technology demonstrations, laying the groundwork for future endeavors and ensuring the support of U.S. national security objectives.

In contrast to ULA’s progress, SpaceX has encountered a delay in its operational schedule following an anomaly with the Crew-9 mission’s Falcon 9 second stage. This incident, where the stage landed outside the designated reentry corridor in the South Pacific, has prompted an investigation. As a result, upcoming missions, including the OneWeb launch from Vandenberg, have been postponed to next week, while a Starlink mission remains on track for launch on Saturday, October 5, from Cape Canaveral.

One exciting highlight in the cosmic exploration realm is the upcoming Hera mission from the European Space Agency (ESA), a significant follow-up to NASA’s successful DART mission, which demonstrated the ability to deflect an asteroid’s trajectory. Scheduled for liftoff from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral on October 7 at 10:52 AM EDT, Hera will utilize a Falcon 9 rocket to embark on a journey aimed at understanding the effects of DART’s impact on the Dimorphos asteroid.

The Hera spacecraft will traverse space for approximately two years before arriving at the Dimorphos binary asteroid system. It will utilize twin solar arrays to power its various scientific instruments, including high-resolution cameras and spectrometers, to analyze the crater left by DART’s impact. This ambitious mission aims to elucidate critical parameters such as Dimorphos’ mass, composition, and the efficiency of momentum transfer during the impact event.

Additionally, Hera will carry two cubesats, Milani and Juventus, which will further expand the mission’s exploratory capabilities. Milani will focus on mapping Dimorphos’ surface, while Juventus is designed to land on the asteroid and measure its gravitational field and surface properties. Together, these instruments will provide unprecedented insights into not only Dimorphos but also into potential planetary defense strategies.

The advancements represented by these missions reflect not just technological progress but also a growing commitment to safeguarding Earth from potential asteroid threats. The success of both the Vulcan certification and the Hera exploration will have lasting implications for future interplanetary missions and international collaboration in space exploration.