Karman Space and Defense boosts ULA's Vulcan on Its Maiden flight

Karman Space and Defense boosts ULA's Vulcan on Its Maiden flight
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 08, 2024

Karman Space and Defense ("Karman") has released details on its involvement in the first certification mission of United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Vulcan launch vehicle. This collaboration underscored Karman's strategic importance in the landmark debut flight of the Vulcan rocket, which occurred on Jan. 8, 2024.

The mission, known as Cert-1, carried two significant payloads: the Peregrine Lunar Lander for Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission One (PM1), under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to deliver payloads to the lunar surface, and the Celestis Memorial Spaceflight's Enterprise Flight for deep space voyaging. Karman's contribution was vital in launching NASA's inaugural CLPS mission, providing the lander structure and managing the Assembly, Integration, and Test (AI&T) for Team Draper in the upcoming CLPS CP-12 mission.

The successful launch marks a milestone in Karman and ULA's decade-long partnership, showcasing the fruits of collaboration and innovation in the space exploration sector. Karman's role included supplying critical components for the Vulcan rocket, from the Graphite Epoxy Motors (GEM 63XL) solid rocket boosters, which are crucial for providing additional thrust, to various dynamic and energetic systems throughout the rocket. These contributions were instrumental in achieving the over 900,000 pounds of thrust needed for lift-off.

Karman's heritage in dynamic and energetic systems was also on display, with the inclusion of multiple pyrovalves in the Reaction Control System, fueling lines, and ordnance safe/arm devices, all mounted on precision-engineered equipment shelves within the Vulcan rocket. The mission also served as the debut for Karman's newly qualified and cutting-edge technologies.

Tony Koblinski, CEO of Karman Space and Defense, expressed immense pride in contributing to the success of the ULA Cert-1 Mission, stating, "The flawless launch of the Vulcan rocket is a testament to Karman's dedication to delivering mission-critical systems on tight schedules. As a valued partner, we look forward to further leveraging our capabilities to extend humanity's reach beyond Earth."

For further details on the ULA Cert-1 Mission, visit ULA's official mission page: ULA Cert-1 Mission