ULA Eyes Vulcan Rocket Upgrade to Rival SpaceX's Starship

Published 2 hours agoBA

ULA Eyes Vulcan Rocket Upgrade to Rival SpaceX's Starship

United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, is gearing up to upgrade its Vulcan rocket in a bid to compete head-to-head with SpaceX's Starship in the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite launch market. ULA plans to develop a new variant of the Vulcan specifically tailored to meet the increasing demand for satellite launches, driven by the rise of services like SpaceX's Starlink, Investing.com reports.

The upgraded Vulcan rocket is expected to feature enhanced payload capacity, enabling it to carry a significantly greater mass to LEO. As part of the upgrade, ULA is considering several configurations, including a potential "Vulcan Heavy" option involving three Vulcan boosters, as well as other unique designs featuring unconventional propulsion placements, according to Interstellar News.

This strategic move by ULA highlights the intensifying competition within the aerospace industry, as the company seeks to enhance its capabilities and secure a competitive edge in the lucrative LEO satellite launch sector. The upgraded Vulcan variant is anticipated to be ready around the same time SpaceX's Starship becomes commercially viable for large-scale deployments, marking an important new chapter in the ongoing space race.

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