Tag: ULA
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SpaceX’s SLC-6 redevelopment green light
In a pivotal step forward for an increase in commercial spaceflight from the West Coast, the Department of the Air Force (DAF) has issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) authorizing sweeping changes to SpaceX’s launch and landing aspirations at the Vandenberg Space Force Base. The decision clears the path…
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U.S. Space Force picks Blue Origin bid for expanding satellite processing at Cape Canaveral
Blue Origin’s New Glenn, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and ULA’s Vulcan rockets launch from their respective pads. Image: Blue Origin, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance Getting newer and increasingly more capable assets in space for U.S. service members and allies is a primary goal for the U.S. Space Force. Among the challenges to bolstering America’s various on…
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SpaceX to launch 4 Falcon Heavy rockets as part of newest U.S. national security missions award
A Falcon Heavy roars passed the Moon as it launches the X-37B for the U.S. military. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now. The latest missions carrying payloads for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) were announced on Friday with a combined value of $1.142 billion. SpaceX was tasked with five missions and…
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ULA launches third batch of Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites from Cape Canaveral
United Launch Alliance launches their Atlas 5 rocket on June 25, 2025, with a batch of 27 Project Kuiper satellites for Amazon towards low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Image: Michael Cain / Spaceflight Now Roughly an hour past sunrise, an Atlas 5 551 rocket from United…
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With recent Falcon 9 milestones, SpaceX vindicates its “dumb” approach to reuse
As SpaceX’s Starship vehicle gathered all of the attention this week, the company’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket continued to hit some impressive milestones. Both occurred during relatively anonymous launches of the company’s Starlink satellites but are nonetheless notable because they underscore the value of first-stage reuse, which SpaceX has pioneered over the last decade. The…
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ULA launches Vulcan rocket on first Space Force mission
United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket roared off the pad at Space Launch Complex 41 to begin the USSF-106 mission for the U.S. Space Force. This was the first national security launch using a Vulcan rocket and the 101st national security mission for ULA. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now United Launch Alliance fired off it’s first fully…
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Launch preview: ULA to launch first national security mission on a Vulcan rocket
A United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket stands at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ahead of the launch of the USSF-106 mission. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now More than four months after it was certified to fly national security payloads for the United States government, United Launch Alliance is on the cusp…
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Launch Roundup: Vulcan and Ariane launch ahead of Starlink missions
After a week of weather delays across the U.S, launch cadence increases as providers strive to catch up with the backlog. An Ariane 6 carrying a weather satellite launched ahead of a navigational technology satellite and a classified payload launched atop Vulcan. A Chinese Chang Zheng 5B rocket also launched on Wednesday. Three Falcon 9…
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ULA CEO Tory Bruno Outlines plans for Vulcan and beyond
In a teleconference ahead of the United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) first mission for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) with its Vulcan rocket, President and CEO Tory Bruno shared insights on a range of topics, from SpaceX’s Starship operations at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to ULA’s reuse technologies and future launch infrastructure. Starship’s Impact on Launch…
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Launch Roundup: Electron launches and Falcon 9 delivers more Kuiper Satellites to orbit
Three rockets launched this week, despite stormy weather causing scrubs and delays. SpaceX succeeded in launching a mission for Amazon’s Project Kuiper missions, but United Launch Alliance’s launch of a navigation technology demonstrator and a classified Space Force payload atop the most powerful configuration of the company’s new Vulcan rocket to date has now been…