ULA targets May 4th for Vulcan Centaur rocket's inaugural flight

United Launch Alliance has a target date for its Vulcan Centaur rocket's inaugural flight: May 4th, 2023. Company chief Tory Bruno has announced the four-day launch window starting on May 4th in a call with reporters, where he explained the factors that prompted the company to come up with the schedule.

According to Parabolic Arc, the primary "pacing item" for the launch is Blue Origin's BE-4 engine, which will power the rocket's first stage. The companies are still working on its qualifications, since they found some inconsistencies among the ones ULA has tested. While the performance variation wasn't huge, the ULA wants to make sure it's not a symptom of a bigger issue.