Jane Edwards
United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno said the Vulcan Centaur rocket is being prepared to undergo a series of tests at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and is now set for its maiden launch no earlier than May 4, SpaceNews reported Thursday.
“We are now targeting the fourth of May so we plan our manifest around that and be ready to fly that payload when it comes in,” Bruno told reporters in a call Thursday.
Tests include tanking tests, a wet dress rehearsal and a flight readiness firing.
The chief executive said ULA and Blue Origin are completing the formal qualification of the BE-4 rocket engine, which he said is the “pacing item” for the first launch.
The inaugural flight will carry a payload from Celestis, two of Amazon’s Project Kuiper demonstration satellites and Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander.
“I believe that we will have all three of our payloads there and ready to go,” Bruno said.
