(Reuters) – Boeing (NYSE:) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE:)’s three way partnership, United Launch Alliance, mentioned on Friday its Vulcan rocket efficiently launched its second mission, in what is an important step to obtain certification for Pentagon missions.
Vulcan, developed to switch ULA’s workhorse Atlas (NYSE:) V rocket and rival the reusable Falcon 9 from Elon Musk’s SpaceX, took off from the Cape Canaveral Area Pressure Station in Florida.
It had efficiently debuted in January this yr.
With the launch, ULA is trying to fulfill flight take a look at obligations and full its certification course of with the U.S. Area Pressure, which requires two verification flights earlier than it could possibly put nationwide safety payloads aboard.
ULA mentioned the U.S. Area Pressure — a key buyer for Vulcan — will evaluate the information and evaluate it to ULA’s first certification mission to make sure that the automobile carried out as anticipated, earlier than it may be licensed.
