The launch of the new American rocket, Vulcan Centaur, has been postponed from December 24 to January 8 due to last-minute technical issues. The rocket, developed by United Launch Alliance, will carry a private lunar lander created by Astrobotic. If successful, this will be the first private craft to land on the moon and the first American robot to do so since 1972. The launch is an important step towards returning to the moon with human presence. Despite the delay, the company has confidence in the rocket’s design. The mission, called Cert-1, will take place at Cape Canaveral and will also carry the cremated remains of individuals associated with the original “Star Trek” series. Vulcan Centaur is intended to replace ULA’s current rockets and has a payload capacity comparable to SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
The maiden launch of the new American rocket called Vulcan Centaur has been delayed from December 24 to January 8 due to last-minute technical issues. The rocket, developed by United Launch Alliance, will carry a private lunar lander developed by Astrobotic. This mission, called Cert-1, could potentially become the first private craft to land on the moon and the first American robot to land on its surface since the Apollo program. The launch will take place at the U.S. Space Force launch base in Florida. In addition to the lunar lander, the rocket will also carry the cremated remains of several people associated with the “Star Trek” series, including creator Gene Roddenberry. Vulcan Centaur is intended to replace ULA’s Atlas V and Delta IV rockets and can carry a payload of up to 27.2 metric tons into low orbit.
The article is reproduced from Source link
US Launch of New Vulcan Centaur Rocket Delayed Until January
![](https://gdb.voanews.com/CB601532-0C6B-4816-9DD7-555D7F8010CA.jpg)