NASA has switched the launch vehicle for its SunRISE solar storm mission from ULA's Vulcan Centaur to SpaceX's Falcon Heavy. The launch date remains undetermined.
NASA changed the launch vehicle for its SunRISE mission, which studies solar storms using six CubeSats, from ULA's Vulcan Centaur to SpaceX's Falcon Heavy. The reason for the switch was not disclosed. The change follows anomalies in two of Vulcan Centaur's four launches, and Falcon Heavy has a clean launch record including for NASA. The launch date remains undetermined.
SunRISE is designed to deploy antennas in geostationary orbit, where the small satellites act as a radio telescope. The mission's reliance on Falcon Heavy reflects a preference for reliability in a launch vehicle with a proven track record.
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NASA has changed the launch vehicle for its SunRISE mission, which studies solar storms using six CubeSats, from ULA's Vulcan Centaur to SpaceX's Falcon Heavy. The reason was not disclosed, though the change follows anomalies in two of Vulcan Centaur's four launches. The launch date remains undetermined.