United Launch Alliance’s next-generation Vulcan rocket lifted off for the first time Monday on a mission that marked a new era of space capabilities for the company’s Alabama-made rockets.

ULA said the successful launch of the Vulcan took place at 2:18 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Payloads are heading to the Moon and include the ashes of deceased “Star Trek” celebrities, among others.

“Vulcan’s inaugural launch ushers in a new, innovative capability to meet the ever-growing requirements of space launch,” said Tory Bruno, ULA’s president and CEO.

ULA assembles the Vulcan rocket at its sprawling factory in Decatur, where it has also built the Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles being replaced by Vulcan.

ULA and its partner, Beyond Gravity, which makes payload fairings, are expanding the Decatur production site through projects valued at $350 million that will create 200 jobs.

Vulcan’s first certification flight (Cert-1) mission included two payloads:

• Astrobotic’s first Peregrine Lunar Lander, Peregrine Mission One (PM1) as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative to deliver science and technology to the lunar surface. After Monday’s launch, the lander itself experienced some technical issues that may affect the scope of its mission.
• The Celestis Memorial Spaceflights deep space Voyager mission, the Enterprise Flight.

“The successful development and flight of this evolutionary rocket is a true testament to the unrivaled dedication and ingenuity of our workforce,” said Mark Peller, vice president of Vulcan Development.

“Vulcan’s purpose-built design leverages the best of what we’ve learned from more than 120 combined years of launch experience with Atlas and Delta, ultimately advancing our nation’s space capability and providing unprecedented mission flexibility,” he said.

On Jan. 13, 2023, the first Vulcan Centaur rocket left ULA’s factory in Decatur for Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, where it underwent testing for its first flight. (ULA)

Alabama DNA

The Vulcan has another strong Alabama connection. Powering the new Vulcan rocket are Blue Origin’s BE-4 rockets, produced at the space flight company’s factory in Huntsville.

“The inaugural mission of ULA’s Vulcan rocket is another milestone that speaks to the immense contribution that Alabama’s aerospace workforce makes to the advancement of the nation’s space program,” said Ellen McNair, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.

“This is a great day for America, and a great day for the ULA workers in Decatur, Alabama, who made this possible.”

ULA has sold more than 70 Vulcan launches to date, including 38 missions for Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband satellite program and multiple national security space launch missions.

Amazon plans to deploy more than 3,200 Kuiper satellites over more than 80 missions, with ULA rockets booked for more than half of those missions. Read about ULA’s first Kuiper mission.

This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website.