I-United Launch Alliance ingase ilayishe i-cryogenic methane kanye nomoya-mpilo owuketshezi endaweni yayo yokuhlola i-Vulcan rocket e-Cape Canaveral okokuqala ngqa emasontweni azayo njengoba ihlela ukwethula isizukulwane esilandelayo i-Atlas 5 rocket phakathi kwezindiza. Ukuhlolwa okubalulekile kwamarokhethi azosebenzisa ukwethulwa kwerokhethi okufanayo. eziyinkimbinkimbi eminyakeni ezayo.
Ngaleso sikhathi, i-ULA isebenzisa i-rocket yayo ye-Atlas 5 ukuze ihlole izingxenye zerokhethi enamandla kakhulu i-Vulcan Centaur ngaphambi kwendiza yokuqala yemoto entsha. Injini entsha yesiteji sokuqala i-BE-4 evela enkampanini yasemkhathini kaJeff Bezos iBlue Origin isilungile futhi iqhubekela phambili nokwethulwa kokuhlola kokuqala kwe-Vulcan.
Isikhulu Esiphezulu Sezokusebenza e-ULA uJohn Albon uthe ekuqaleni kukaMeyi i-rocket yokuqala ye-Vulcan kufanele ibe isilungele ukwethulwa ekupheleni konyaka.
Ukwethulwa kokuqala kwe-Vulcan kungenzeka ngasekupheleni kwalo nyaka noma ekuqaleni kuka-2022, uCol. Robert Bongiovi, umqondisi we-Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center's Space and Missile Systems Center, kusho ngoLwesithathu. I-Space Force izoba ikhasimende elikhulu kunawo wonke e-ULA njengoba irokhethi i-Vulcan yenza izindiza ezimbili zokunikeza izitifiketi ngaphambi kokwethula umsebenzi wayo wokuqala wezempi wase-US, i-USSF-106, ngasekuqaleni kuka-2023.
Ukwethulwa kwesathelayithi yezempi yase-US i-Atlas 5 ngoLwesibili kuhlole inguqulo ethuthukisiwe yenjini ye-RL10 ephezulu ezondiza endaweni ephakeme ye-Vulcan rocket's Centaur. Ukwethulwa okulandelayo kwe-Atlas 5 ngoJuni kuzoba irokhethi lokuqala ukusebenzisa i-Vulcan. . Njengesihlangu esikhokhelwayo esenziwe e-USA, hhayi eSwitzerland.
Ukwakhiwa nokuhlolwa kohlelo olusha lwamaphedi okwethulwa kwerokhethi ye-Vulcan Centaur sekuzoqedwa, kusho uRon Fortson, umqondisi kanye nomphathi jikelele wemisebenzi yokuqalisa e-ULA.
"Lokhu kuzoba indawo yokwethulwa kwezinto ezimbili," kusho uFordson muva nje ngesikhathi ehola izintatheli ohambweni lweLaunch Pad 41 eCape Canaveral Space Force Station. "Akekho owake wakwenza lokhu ngaphambilini, empeleni wethula i-Atlas kanye nomugqa womkhiqizo we-Vulcan ohluke ngokuphelele endaweni efanayo."
Injini yaseRussia i-RD-180 yerokhethi ye-Atlas 5 isebenza kuphalafini oxutshwe nomoya-mpilo owuketshezi. Izinjini ezingamawele ze-BE-4 Vulcan zesigaba sokuqala zisebenza ngegesi yemvelo ewuketshezi noma uphethiloli we-methane, edinga i-ULA ukuthi ifake amathangi esitoreji amasha ku-Platform 41.
Amathangi amathathu okugcina e-methane angu-100,000-gallon atholakala ohlangothini olusenyakatho lwe-Launch Pad 41. Le nkampani, ngokubambisana kwe-50-50 phakathi kwe-Boeing ne-Lockheed Martin, iphinde yathuthukisa uhlelo lwamanzi olumunca umsindo lwephedi, oludambisa umsindo oshubile okhiqizwa iphedi yokuqalisa. Ukwethulwa kwerokhethi.
I-liquid hydrogen kanye nezindawo zokugcina umoya-mpilo owuketshezi e-Launch Pad 41 nazo zathuthukiswa ukuze zikwazi ukuthwala isiteji esikhulu se-Centaur, esizondiza ngerokhethi i-Vulcan.
Isiteji esisha esiphezulu se-Vulcan rocket i-Centaur 5 sinobubanzi obungamafithi angu-17.7 (5.4 amamitha), ububanzi obuphindwe kabili njenge-Centaur 3 upper stage ku-Atlas 5. I-Centaur 5 izonikwa amandla yizinjini ezimbili ze-RL10C-1-1, hhayi injini eyi-RL10 efanayo esetshenziswa kuma-Atlas amaningi kanye nengxenye yamanje ethwala uphethiloli ka-5 kanye nohhafu we-atlas.
U-Fordson uthe i-ULA isiqedile ukuhlola amathangi amasha okugcina i-methane futhi yathumela uketshezi lwe-cryogenic ngolayini bokuhambisa phansi endaweni yokwethulwa kwe-Pad 41.
"Sigcwalise lamathangi ukuze sifunde ngezindawo zawo," kusho uFordson. "Sinophethiloli ogeleza kuzo zonke izintambo. Lokhu sikubiza ngokuthi ukuhlolwa kokugeleza okubandayo. Sidlule kuyo yonke imigqa kuze kufike ekuxhumaneni ne-VLP, okuyinkundla yokuqalisa i-Vulcan, ne-Vulcan rocket. vertex."
I-Vulcan Launch Platform iyiphedi entsha yokwethulwa yeselula ezothwala irokhethi i-Vulcan Centaur isuka endaweni ehlanganiswe iqonde mpo ye-ULA iye ku-Launch Pad 41. Ngasekuqaleni konyaka, abasebenzi baphansi baphakamisele isiteji esiyinhloko se-Vulcan Pathfinder endaweni yesikhulumi base begingqa irokhethi endaweni yokuqalisa ngomzuliswano wokuqala wokuhlola umhlabathi.
I-ULA igcina isiteji se-VLP kanye ne-Vulcan Pathfinder esikhungweni esiseduze se-Cape Canaveral Space Operations Center kuyilapho inkampani ilungisa irokhethi yayo entsha ye-Atlas 5 ukuze iphakame ngesathelayithi yamasosha i-SBIRS GEO 5 eyisixwayiso sangaphambi kwesikhathi.
Ngemva kokwethulwa ngempumelelo kwe-Atlas 5 kanye ne-SBIRS GEO 5 ngoLwesibili, ithimba le-Vulcan lizobuyisela irokhethi emuva ku-Launch Pad 41 ukuze liqhubeke nokuhlola i-Pathfinder. I-ULA izoqala ukubeka i-Atlas 5 rocket ngaphakathi kwe-VIF, okuhlelwe ukuthi yethulwe ngoJuni 23 ngomkhankaso we-Space Force we-STP-3.
I-ULA ihlela ukulayisha uphethiloli emotweni yokwethulwa kwe-Vulcan okokuqala ngqa, ngokusekelwe ekuhlolweni kwangaphambi kwesikhathi kwesistimu yaphansi.
"Ngokuzayo lapho sikhipha ama-VLP, sizoqala ukwenza lezi zivivinyo ngemoto," kusho uFortson.
Imoto iVulcan Pathfinder yafika eCape Canaveral ngoFebhuwari igibele irokhethi i-ULA isuka esikhungweni senkampani eDecatur, Alabama.
Ukwethulwa kwangoLwesibili kumake umkhankaso wokuqala we-Atlas 5 esikhathini esingaphezu kwezinyanga eziyisithupha, kodwa i-ULA ilindele ukuthi ijubane lizoshesha kulo nyaka. Ngemva kokwethulwa kukaJuni 23 kwe-STP-3, ukwethulwa okulandelayo kwe-Atlas 5 kuhlelelwe uJulayi 30, okuzofaka indiza yokuhlola yemojuli yabasebenzi be-Boeing's Starliner.
"Kudingeka siqedele umsebenzi we-Vulcan phakathi kokwethulwa," kusho uFordson. "Sizokwethula i-STP-3 maduze nje. Banefasitela elincane abazosebenza ngalo, bahlole futhi bahlole, bese sifaka enye imoto lapho."
Irokhethi ye-Vulcan Pathfinder inikwa amandla yi-Blue Origin's BE-4 injini yokuhlola indawo, futhi ukuhlolwa kwethangi layo kuzosiza onjiniyela babone ukuthi bawulayisha kanjani uphethiloli ku-Vulcan ngosuku lokwethulwa.
"Sizoqonda zonke izimpahla nokuthi zisebenza kanjani futhi zithuthukise iCONOPS yethu (umqondo wokusebenza) ukusuka lapho," kusho uFordson.
I-ULA inokuhlangenwe nakho okubanzi nge-ultra-cold liquid hydrogen, enye i-cryogenic rocket fuel esetshenziswa emndenini wenkampani we-Delta 4 wamarokhethi kanye nezigaba eziphezulu ze-Centaur.
"Bobabili bebebanda kakhulu," kusho uFordson. “Zinezakhiwo ezahlukene.
“Ukuhlola esikwenzayo manje wukuqonda kahle ukuthi le gesi injani nokuthi iziphatha kanjani uma siyifake emotweni,” kusho uFordson. “Yilokho esizobe sikwenza ngempela ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezizayo.”
Nakuba amasistimu aphansi e-Vulcan egcwele kakhulu, i-ULA isebenzisa ukuqaliswa kwayo kwerokhethi ukuze ihlole ubuchwepheshe bendiza yokwethulwa kwemoto yesizukulwane esilandelayo.
Okuhlukile okusha kwenjini ye-Aerojet i-Rocketdyne RL10 esesiteji esiphezulu se-Centaur kwethulwe ngoLwesibili. Inguqulo yakamuva yenjini ye-hydrogen, ebizwa ngokuthi i-RL10C-1-1, ithuthukise ukusebenza futhi kulula ukuyikhiqiza, ngokusho kwe-ULA.
Injini ye-RL10C-1-1 inobhobho omude kunenjini esetshenziswe kumarokhethi e-Atlas 5 angaphambilini futhi inomjovo omusha ophrintiwe we-3D, owenze indiza yayo yokuqala esebenzayo, kusho uGary Harry, iphini likamongameli wenkampani wezindaba zikahulumeni nezikahulumeni. izinhlelo zezohwebo. Kusho uGary Wentz. I-ULA.
Ngokwesizindalwazi se-Aerojet Rocketdyne, injini ye-RL10C-1-1 ikhiqiza cishe amaphawundi angu-1,000 we-thrust eyengeziwe kunenguqulo yangaphambilini yenjini ye-RL10C-1 esetshenziswe ku-Atlas 5 rocket.
Zingaphezu kuka-500 RL10 izinjini ezisebenzise amarokhethi kusukela ngeminyaka yawo-1960. Irokhethi ye-ULA ye-Vulcan Centaur izophinda isebenzise imodeli yenjini i-RL10C-1-1, njengoba kuzokwenziwa ngayo yonke imisebenzi yesikhathi esizayo ye-Atlas 5 ngaphandle kwe-capsule yeqembu le-Boeing's Starliner crew, esebenzisa isigaba esiphezulu se-Centaur enenjini ephindwe kabili.
Ngonyaka odlule, i-rocket booster entsha eqinile eyakhiwe u-Northrop Grumman yethulwa okokuqala ngqa endizeni ye-Atlas 5. I-booster enkulu, eyakhiwe ngu-Northrop Grumman, izosetshenziswa kumishini ye-Vulcan kanye nezindiza eziningi ze-Atlas 5 ezizayo.
I-booster entsha ingena esikhundleni se-Aerojet Rocketdyne strap-on booster esetshenziswe ekuqalisweni kwe-Atlas 5 kusukela ngo-2003. Amarokhethi aqinile e-Aerojet Rocketdyne azoqhubeka nokuqhumisa amarokhethi e-Atlas 5 ukuze athwale umkhankaso owenziwe ngabantu aye ku-orbit, kodwa umgomo waleli sonto umake indiza yokugcina yemoto yezempi ye-Atlas 5 endala. Imoto yokwethulwa kwe-Aerojet Rocketdyne igunyaziwe ukwethula osomkhathi.
I-ULA ihlanganise ama-avionics kanye nezinhlelo zokuqondisa zamarokhethi ayo e-Atlas 5 kanye ne-Delta 4 edizayini eyodwa ezondiza futhi nge-Vulcan Centaur.
Ngenyanga ezayo, i-ULA ihlela ukwembula isistimu yokugcina enkulu efana ne-Vulcan ezondiza kuqala ku-Atlas 5: ukuthengiswa kwe-payload okulula futhi okushibhile ukukukhiqiza kune-Atlas 5′s yangaphambilini yekhala.
Ukukhokhwa kokukhokha okungamamitha angu-17.7 (amamitha angu-5.4) okuzokwethulwa ngenyanga ezayo kumishini ye-STP-3 kubukeka kufana naleyo esetshenziswe kumarokhethi e-Atlas 5 adlule.
Kodwa ukubukwa kuwumkhiqizo wobambiswano olusha lwezimboni phakathi kwe-ULA nenkampani yase-Swiss i-RUAG Space, ngaphambilini ekhiqize yonke imibukiso ye-Atlas 5's 5.4-metres embonini yaseSwitzerland. I-Atlas 5 nose cone encane esetshenziswa kwezinye izimishini ikhiqizwa endaweni ye-ULA e-Harlingen, eTexas.
I-ULA kanye ne-RUAG basungule ulayini omusha wokukhiqiza okhokhelwayo ezindaweni ezikhona ze-Atlas, Delta kanye ne-Vulcan e-Alabama.
Ulayini wokukhiqiza wase-Alabama usebenzisa inqubo entsha eyenza izinyathelo zokukhiqiza zibe lula. Ngokusho kwe-ULA, indlela yokukhiqiza "okungeyona i-autoclave" ingasebenzisa ihhavini kuphela ukwelapha i-carbon fiber composite fairing, isuse i-autoclave enengcindezi ephezulu, ekhawulela usayizi wezingxenye ezingangena ngaphakathi.
Lolu shintsho luvumela i-payload fairing ukuthi ihlukaniswe ibe yizingxenye ezimbili esikhundleni sezingcezu ezincane ezingu-18 noma ngaphezulu. Lokhu kuzonciphisa inani lezixhumi, iziphindaphinda kanye namathuba okuba namaphutha, kusho i-ULA eposini lebhulogi ngonyaka odlule.
I-ULA ithi indlela entsha ikwenza kusheshe futhi kushibhile ukwakha i-payload fairing.
I-ULA ihlela ukundiza ngemishini engu-30 noma ngaphezulu ye-Atlas 5 ngaphambi kokuthi i-rocket iyekiswe futhi idluliselwe kurokhethi ye-Vulcan Centaur.
Ngo-Ephreli, i-Amazon yathenga izindiza eziyisishiyagalolunye ze-Atlas 5 ukuze ziqale ukwethula amasathelayithi enethiwekhi yenkampani ye-Kuiper Internet. Umkhulumeli we-Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center yase-US uthe ngesonto eledlule ezinye izinhlaka eziyisithupha zezokuphepha zizodinga amarokhethi e-Atlas 5 eminyakeni embalwa ezayo, singabala umkhankaso we-SBIRS GEO 5 owethulwe ngoLwesibili.
Ngonyaka odlule, i-US Space Force yamemezela izinkontileka zezigidigidi zamadola zokuletha umthwalo obalulekile wezokuphepha kuzwelonke kumarokhethi e-Vulcan Centaur yase-ULA kanye nezimoto zokwethulwa kwe-SpaceX zika-Falcon 9 kanye ne-Falcon Heavy ngo-2027.
NgoLwesine, i-Space News ibike ukuthi i-Space Force kanye ne-ULA bavumile ukuhambisa umsebenzi wokuqala wezempi onikezwe i-Vulcan Centaur rocket ku-rocket ye-Atlas 5. Lo mkhankaso, obizwa nge-USSF-51, uhlelelwe ukwethula ngo-2022.
Osomkhathi abane abalungiselela ukungena emzileni we-Crew Dragon “Resilience” capsule ye-SpaceX bagibele umkhumbi-mkhathi e-Kennedy Space Centre ngoLwesine ukuze baziqeqeshele ukwethulwa okuhleliwe kwe-International Space Station ngoMgqibelo kusihlwa, kuyilapho abaholi beMishini beqaphe isimo sezulu nezimo zolwandle phakathi nenqubo yokululama. indawo engaphesheya kwe-Atlantic Ocean.
Onjiniyela be-NASA Kennedy Space Center abazokwengamela ukwethulwa kwamasathelayithi esayensi kanye nama-interplanetary probes bazoba nesibopho sokuqinisekisa ukuthi ohambweni abakhulu abayisithupha bafika emkhathini ngokuphepha esikhathini esingaphezudlwana kwezinyanga eziyisithupha kulo nyaka, kusukela ngokwethulwa okusha kwe-NOAA kwe-GOES - Mashi 1, i-S Weather Observatory igibela irokhethi i-Atlas 5.
Irokhethi yaseChina yethule amasathelayithi amathathu okuhlola amasosha ku-orbit ngoLwesihlanu, isethi yesibili yamasathelayithi amathathu eyethulwa esikhathini esingaphansi kwezinyanga ezimbili.
Isikhathi sokuthumela: Apr-28-2024