United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Centaur Rocket

This project is a remix of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) upcoming Vulcan Centaur 561 rocket. The original rocket files can be found at 

https://www.ulalaunch.com/docs/default-source/3-d-printer-files/vulcan/vulcan561.stl?sfvrsn=ee4c38f0_2&download=true

It all started when Tory Bruno, the CEO of ULA, sent a model of the Vulcan Centaur rocket to Scott Manley to thank him for the wonderful work he does educating the general public about space flight. Scott Manley sent a very nice thank-you tweet to Tory Bruno. I replied to thank him too

https://twitter.com/PhLacoude/status/1655961755187806210

and asked Tory Bruno if we could get schematics of the ULA Vulcan Centaur to make our own models too:

https://twitter.com/PhLacoude/status/1655963538119344129

To my surprise, Tory Bruno tweeted back a link to the STL files of all the ULA rockets:

https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1656031753486888961

The STL files are wonderful but they did not contain a model of the new Blue Origin BE-4 engines of the first stage.

I have since added the following items using schematics from ULA and Blue Origin:

• BE-4 engines
• First-stage engine bay
• Payloads
• Payload attach fittings (forward and aft)

I also redesigned some of the STL files to that we can print the Vulcan Centaur GEM-63XL booster engines in a separate color.

Last but not least, I created a set of STL files to be able to the grey and crimson livery as PETG or PLA “decals”. While I am not entirely satisfied, I think that they are better than printing images on sticky paper. I glued these “decals” with epoxy glue after patiently bending them with an air dryer. I am providing the Fusion 360 file if someone has the impetus to try to improve on the livery of the first stage.

As for all my models, I provided the GCode. However, I tend to use PETG rather than PLA for my prints.

Therefore, in order to get your own model, you will have to follow these steps:

• slice each part using the 3mf files
• glue the BE-4 engines, the engine bay, the engine nozzles, and the LOX and methane pipes together
• glue the 6 GEM-63XL boosters to the 6 engines
• glue the two satellites together and use filament as hinges for the solar panels
• print the “Vulcan Centaur Art.pdf” file on sticker paper and place the two American flags, the ULA logo, and the Centaur logo on the rocket according to the “Vulcan Centaur.png” drawings
• glue the livery from “Vulcan Centaur Decals Crimson.3mf” and “Vulcan Centaur Decals Grey.3mf” to the body of the first stage. It turned out it is easier, I believe, to glue the crimson parts and, later, the grey parts.

I used the Prusament PETG Crimson Red, Prusament PLA Grey, and Prusament PETG Signal White filaments. The other colors do not matter much as the satellites are not real models.

Some of the files were printed on a Prusa MK3S+ with MMU2S. However, there are so few filament changes that the couple of 3MF files that are set for the MMU2S can be converted from multi-material to single filament with manual changes.