Vulcan Pathfinder Has Made Its Way To The Launchpad

United Launch Alliance has successfully moved its Vulcan rocket to its launchpad at Cape Canaveral. The spacecraft is on the launchpad for tank testing, which is part of the test campaign that will lead to the rocket launching into orbit. This particular rocket won’t be the first Vulcan to launch, but it will get new engines after testing and support a future launch.

The Vulcan sitting on the launchpad is fitted with development engines and is the only flight-ready booster at Cape Canaveral. Eventually, it will be swapped for another booster fitted with flight engines to conduct a static fire test.

If the static fire test completes successfully, future Falcon rockets will be integrated with the payload for the first flight. Currently, United Launch Alliance is building the hardware needed for flying the first Vulcan missions.

The first Vulcan flight will be used to put Astrobotic’s Peregrine moon lander into space. The flight was originally expected to happen this year, but it has been delayed. One of the major reasons for the delay is that the lunar lander itself isn’t ready.