Sunday, January 15, 2023

Photos of the Day: Peregrine and Its Vulcan Rocket Move a Step Closer to Their Much-Anticipated Launch...

At NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, Astrobotic team members pose in front of the Peregrine lunar lander before it began testing inside a thermal vacuum chamber at MSFC this month.
Astrobotic

Just thought I'd share these cool images of Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander undergoing its final pre-launch test and United Launch Alliance's (ULA) first Vulcan Centaur rocket being sent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in Florida to be prepped for its much-anticipated flight this year.

In the photo above, Astrobotic team members pose with Peregrine as it sat inside a thermal vacuum chamber (TVAC) at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Peregrine began its TVAC test over a week ago...with this being the last task to accomplish before the lander is trucked to its launch site at CCSFS within the next month or so.

In the pictures below, Vulcan's core stage booster, one of its twin payload fairings and the Centaur V upper stage motor are in various steps of being placed inside R/S Rocketship, ULA's transport vessel for Atlas V, Delta IV and now its Vulcan launch vehicle. Rocketship departed for Florida last week...on Friday the 13th.

As of this Blog entry, Rocketship is still navigating the Mississippi River route that takes it from ULA's factory in Decatur, Alabama to the Gulf of Mexico. By the time this ship reaches the Port of Canaveral in Florida from its river exit point near New Orleans, Louisiana, it would've traveled 2,100 miles one-way.

The Peregrine lander will venture about 114 times that distance once Vulcan sends it on its way to the Moon! Happy Sunday.

In Decatur, Alabama, a truck delivers the first Vulcan core stage booster from the United Launch Alliance's (ULA) factory to its waiting transport vessel R/S Rocketship...on January 10, 2023.
ULA / Tory Bruno

An aerial shot of the first Vulcan core stage booster being delivered from ULA's factory to the waiting transport vessel Rocketship...on January 10, 2023.
ULA / Tory Bruno

The first Centaur V upper stage motor is prepped inside ULA's factory for delivery to the waiting transport vessel Rocketship...on January 10, 2023.
ULA / Tory Bruno

The Centaur V motor exits ULA's factory for delivery to the waiting transport vessel Rocketship...on January 12, 2023.
ULA / Tory Bruno

The Centaur V motor is about to join the first Vulcan core stage booster and one of its twin payload fairings inside ULA's transport vessel Rocketship..on January 12, 2023.
ULA / Tory Bruno

The Centaur V motor, the first Vulcan core stage booster and one of its twin payload fairings now sit inside ULA's transport vessel Rocketship...on January 12, 2023.
ULA / Tory Bruno

ULA's transport vessel Rocketship sails away from her dock in Decatur, Alabama, to begin her multi-day journey to the Port of Canaveral in Florida...on January 13, 2023.
ULA
Posted by Richard Par at 2:49 PM
Labels: ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)