HOW ROCKETS ARE MADE (Rocket Factory Tour - United Launch Alliance) - Smarter Every Day 231

Summary by Krater

Smarter Every Day tours the United Launch Alliance (ULA) factory in Decatur, Alabama, with CEO Tory Bruno, exploring how rockets like Atlas V, Delta IV Heavy, Vulcan, and Centaur are built and examining the aerospace engineering processes involved.

From the video

Answers: How are rockets manufactured at the United Launch Alliance factory?

• Rocket manufacturing at United Launch Alliance
• Atlas V and Vulcan rocket design
• Friction stir welding in aerospace
• Aluminum alloy grid stiffeners in rocket tanks
• Chemical milling and anodization of aluminum panels
• Centaur upper stage rocket construction

What it concludes

• Rocket structures must maintain a high factor of safety between 1.1 and 1.25 to account for unknown field stresses while avoiding excess weight.
• Friction stir welding joins metal parts tightly together through mechanical stirring and heat without ever melting the material, resulting in a stronger joint.
• Vulcan's upper stage, the Centaur, is the highest-performing upper stage ever flown, providing higher specific impulse and greater payload capacity.
• Anodizing aluminum creates a protective oxide layer that gives corrosion resistance and prevents stress corrosion cracking during space missions.