Tag: ULA
-
Launch Preview: Falcon Heavy returns, Atlas V and Ariane 6 to launch Amazon Leo satellites
Six launches are expected from Florida, California, and French Guiana this week, with SpaceX scheduled to launch its Falcon Heavy vehicle for the first time since October 2024. Meanwhile, Falcon 9, Atlas V, and Ariane 6 are all expected to launch internet satellites for the Starlink and Amazon Leo constellations, and Falcon 9 will close…
-
Northrop Grumman Takes $71M Charge on Vulcan Booster Grounding
What Financial Impact Has the Vulcan Grounding Had on Northrop Grumman? Northrop Grumman recorded a $71 million charge in its first quarter 2026 earnings directly tied to a solid rocket booster anomaly that has indefinitely grounded United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket. The defense contractor disclosed the financial hit on April 21, marking one of…
-
Space Force considers Vulcan flights minus solid boosters
Can Vulcan launch military payloads without its solid rocket boosters? The U.S. Space Force is evaluating whether United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur can fly lower-energy national security missions without solid rocket motors (SRMs) as the investigation into a recent solid booster anomaly continues to ground the rocket’s full-performance configuration. This contingency planning reflects the military’s…
-
Pentagon Eyes Vulcan Issues for Next Launch Competition
How Will Vulcan’s Reliability Issues Reshape Pentagon Launch Strategy? United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket faces its second grounding in less than two years, and a Space Force three-star general confirmed Tuesday that these reliability issues will “absolutely” influence the Pentagon’s next launch services competition. Despite a backlog of nearly 70 missions, Vulcan has completed just…
-
Launch Preview: SLS, Falcon 9, Atlas V, and Soyuz launches comprise busy launch manifest
Nine launches are scheduled this week, with rockets expected to liftoff from Florida, California, Russia, Kazakhstan, and China. Most notably, NASA’s long-awaited Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch the first humans to the Moon in over 50 years on Wednesday. SpaceX has four Starlink missions scheduled for the week, with Falcon 9 launching two…
-
Launch Preview: Russia to debut Soyuz-5; Falcon 9 and Atlas V to launch internet satellites
The United States, Russia, China, New Zealand, and Norway are all set to host launches during another busy week of spaceflight. SpaceX is set to launch three missions from its Florida and California launch facilities, while the United Launch Alliance is scheduled to launch Amazon Leo satellites on its Atlas V rocket toward the end…
-
ULA’s Vulcan Rocket Completes Space Force Mission Despite Booster Anomaly
United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket successfully carried multiple U.S. Space Force payloads to geosynchronous orbit on Feb. 12, despite encountering a performance anomaly with one of its solid rocket boosters early in flight, the company said. The mission, designated USSF-87, lifted off shortly after 4 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on…
-
Vulcan suffers solid rocket booster problem during USSF-87 launch
An anomalous plume is visible from one of the Vulcan’s solid rocket motors during the launch of the USSF-87 mission on Feb. 12, 2026. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now. United Launch Alliance said an issue affected one of the four solid rocket boosters that helped propel its Vulcan rocket into space Thursday on a mission for…
-
ULA sets sights on ramping up launch cadence in 2026
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket rolls from the Government Vertical Integration Facility (VIF-G) to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Vulcan will launch the USSF-87 mission for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC). Image: United Launch Alliance On the cusp of launching its…
-
ULA launches first mission of 2026 with USSF-87 aboard Vulcan – SRB issue observed
United Launch Alliance launched its first mission of 2026 with the USSF-87 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Vulcan Centaur V-005, with four solid rocket boosters in the VC4S configuration, launched on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 4:22 AM EST (09:22 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 41. One SRB appeared to have another…