The first space-worthy Vulcan rocket is taking shape

Enlarge / A Vulcan rocket panel is shown after the bump forming process. (credit: Tory Bruno/Twitter)

On Thursday night, United Launch Alliance chief executive Tory Bruno shared an image of a rocket panel on Twitter and declared, "The age of Vulcan has begun..." This is one of the first pieces of metal being cut and formed for the Vulcan-Centaur rocket's fuel tanks, Bruno later confirmed. "This is a piece of actual first flight hardware," he told Ars.

The image showed a large machine, at least the size of a freight train car, producing a long, slightly curved panel that will form the barrel components of a fuel tank. The fabrication work was being done inside United Launch Alliance's factory in Decatur, Alabama.

Bruno characterized the piece as being "bump formed," a process which occurs after barrel panels are machined. During this process, the panels are formed into cylindrical arcs so that they can be welded into a barrel for fuel tanks. (More about the materials used in aerospace structures and this specific manufacturing process can be found in this NASA document).

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