Vulcan Rocket prepares for first launch with Moon Lander mission
A brand new American rocket sits on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and for the first time in more than 50 years, an American spacecraft will be heading to the moon’s surface. The rocket is called Vulcan and was built by the company United Launch Alliance. Here’s what you need to know about the first flight.
When is the launch and how can I watch it?
The launch is scheduled for Monday at 2:18 a.m. Eastern. The coverage will be broadcast on NASA Television from 1:30 am
Forecasts indicate an 85 percent chance of favorable weather. If the launch is postponed until Tuesday, weather conditions will deteriorate, with only a 30 percent chance of favorable conditions.
There are additional launch opportunities on January 10 and 11.
What is the moon mission going to orbit?
Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology sends Peregrine, a robotic spacecraft, to land in Sinus Viscositatis – Latin for ‘Bay of Stickiness’ – a mysterious region on the near side of the moon. NASA will pay Astrobotic $108 million to conduct five experiments there, part of the space agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, or CLPS. The program aims to reduce the cost of shipping items to the lunar surface.
What is the Vulcan Missile and why is it important?
The Vulcan rocket, built by the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, will replace the company’s two current rockets, the Altas V and the Delta IV.
Since its founding in 2006, the United Launch Alliance’s main business has been launching top-secret military payloads for the U.S. government. The rockets were expensive – too expensive for most commercial customers – but very reliable. With Vulcan, ULA aims for a larger share of the commercial market. It has already sold more than 70 Vulcan launches, including 38 to Amazon to build Project Kuiper, a constellation of Internet communications satellites.
The United States Space Force would like to see two successful Vulcan launches before bringing a single payload on board. Monday’s launch is the first certification launch. A second one could take place as early as April. That would take Dream Chaser, an unmanned spaceplane built by Sierra Space of Louisville, Colorado, on a cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station.
If these flights are successful, four additional Vulcan launches would deliver Space Force payloads to orbit this year.
Why is the rocket’s payload causing controversy?
The Navajo Nation objects to human ash and DNA aboard Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander.
In addition to the five NASA experiments, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander also carries several payloads for commercial customers. This includes Celestis and Elysium Space, companies that commemorate people by sending part of their remains into space.
On Thursday, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said in a statement that he had sent a letter to NASA and the U.S. Department of Transportation calling for the launch to be postponed.
“The moon is deeply rooted in the spirituality and heritage of many indigenous cultures, including our own,” he wrote. “The placement of human remains on the moon is a profound description of this celestial body revered by our people.”
During news conferences, NASA officials noted that they were not in charge of the mission and that they had no direct control over other payloads Astrobotic sold on Peregrine.
“An intergovernmental meeting is being convened with the Navajo Nation that NASA will support,” Joel Kearns, deputy assistant administrator for research at NASA, said during a press conference on Thursday.
John Thornton, Astrobotic’s CEO, said Friday he was disappointed that “this conversation came up so late in the game” because his company had announced the participation of Celestis and Elysium years ago.
“We’re really trying to do the right thing,” Mr. Thornton said. “I hope we can find a good path forward with the Navajo Nation.”