Currently scheduled to launch on Friday, Oct. 4, the United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) heavy-lift Vulcan rocket is ready to fly on its second certification mission for the United States Space Force. The mission, named Certification Flight 2 or simply Cert-2, is expected to launch from Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida during a three-hour launch window that opens at 6:00 AM EDT (10:00 UTC).
Assuming a successful launch into orbit, Vulcan will be certified by the United States Space Force (USSF) to carry national security payloads, some of which are already featured on Vulcan’s manifest. Vulcan was originally intended to loft Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane named Tenacity to the ISS; however, Sierra Space and ULA announced earlier this year that Dream Chaser teams would need more time for testing and flight preparations. Now, Vulcan will be launching with a mass simulator payload, as well as experiments and technology demonstrations that may be incorporated into future missions