ULA Unveils Vulcan Launch Vehicle: The United Launch Alliance's next generation launch vehicle will feature a reusable main engine and a redesigned second stage, the company announced Monday.
The rocket, dubbed 'Vulcan' via an online vote, will replace both the Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles, the only two current options for military space launch under the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program.
Details of the next-gen rocket have leaked out over the last month, but the greatest surprise of Mondays announcement at the National Space Symposium was the company's Sensible, Modular, Autonomous Return Technology (SMART) initiative, which would allow ULA to capture and reuse the main booster engine.
Tory Bruno, who took over as ULA president in August, said the new design "Takes the best parts" of the legacy launch vehicles while also driving down the cost.
The biggest news of the design is the inclusion of a reusable engine, which the company believes will save an estimated 90 percent in booster propulsion cost.
ULA's competitor SpaceX, which is expected to be certified for military launch by June, is testing how to build reusability into its Falcon series of rockets. Where SpaceX's design involves landing the full system onto a landing pad, only the first stage engine will be reusable for Vulcan.
