ULA to Test Vulcan Through Static Firing

SpaceNews.com reports that ULA announced today that they intend to resume tanking tests of their Vulcan booster including a short static firing of the engines as soon as next week.   

“Vulcan is in position atop SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to undergo a full launch day rehearsal tomorrow and flight readiness firing test of its main engines planned for next week,” ULA said.

As if to underline the announcement, the vehicle was rolled to launch complex 41 earlier today.  This is the first test we've heard of since the Centaur upper stage test anomaly back on March 31 reset everything (this is probably my best link). The anomaly investigation has not been completed and there's no announcement of an expected launch date for the first Vulcan Centaur test flight, Cert-1, although they're still saying "this summer." 

Bruno on Wednesday said ULA plans to livestream the flight-readiness test firing of the BE-4 main engines. The test fire is expected to last about six seconds, he said. “A short burn, but a very long time to be on the pad.”

“With success here, and a resolution of the Centaur V ground test anomaly, we are projecting for a Vulcan Cert-1 launch this summer,” Bruno wrote.

The name "Cert-1" is an indication of the reason for the launch.  Yes, the first launch of any vehicle is a certification test of some sort, but this is specific to requirements to certify the Vulcan Centaur for the US Space Force.  Space Force requires two certification flights, and ULA has previously indicated they planned to get both of those certification flights in calendar '23, probably by the fall.  Cert-1 will carry the Astrobotic Peregrine lunar lander mission, originally scheduled for May 4; Cert-2 has been discussed as the flight test of the Sierra Space Dream Chaser spacecraft.  I say they planned to complete both certification flights by the fall because they said they planned to launch their first national security mission before the end of '23.  That doesn't seem highly likely at the moment.

Vulcan on arrival at SLC-41 this morning.  ULA Photo.