Tag: USSF
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Space Force Plans 2027 GEO Refueling and Servicing Demos
What orbital servicing capabilities will Space Force demonstrate in 2027? The U.S. Space Force will launch its first operational demonstrations of in-space refueling and satellite servicing in geostationary orbit (GEO) during 2027 under the USSF-23 mission. The mission represents the military’s most ambitious step toward establishing persistent space logistics capabilities at the critical 35,786 km…
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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…
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X-37B launches USSF-36 mission aboard Falcon 9
The U.S. Department of Defense’s reusable X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) has embarked on its eighth overall flight into orbit. Vehicle 1, the first X-37B to fly, launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A on Thursday, Aug. 21, at 11:50 PM EDT (03:50 UTC on Friday, Aug. 22).…
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Launch Roundup: SpaceX, Chinese, and Russian missions make up busy week
Two Chinese rockets, a pair of Russian missions, a trio of Falcon 9 launches, a New Shepard, an Electron, and the long-awaited tenth flight of Starship were scheduled to fly this week. In Russia, a Soyuz rocket launched a modernized version of the Vostok capsule that flew crewed missions in the 1960s from Baikonur, while…
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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…
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ULA set to ramp up Vulcan launches and national security missions with USSF-106
United Launch Alliance (ULA) is starting launch processing for its long-awaited national security launch debut after investigating an issue that affected Vulcan’s second mission — a mission required for certification to fly national security missions. ULA will also start flying other Vulcan configurations than the VC2S, which includes two solid rocket boosters (SRBs) and a…
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Atlas V successfully launched its last ever national security mission
United Launch Alliance, formed in 2006 to merge the Boeing and Lockheed Martin launch vehicle programs, has flown 100 national security missions over the last 18 years using the Delta II, Delta IV, and Atlas V rocket families. USSF-51 was ULA’s 100th national security launch, and the last ever flown by an Atlas-family rocket. An…
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SpaceX launches sixth next-generation GPS satellite
SpaceX launched its fourth mission of the year, a GPS-III satellite for the US Space Force, on Wednesday, Jan. 18. The launch saw a Falcon 9 rocket lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 7:24 EST (12:24 UTC). The payload for this mission is Global Positioning System…
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SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches USSF-67 from 39A
The latest Falcon Heavy mission launched Sunday, Jan. 15, at 5:56 PM EST (22:56 UTC) and was later declared a success by the US Space Force. The flight, designated USSF–67 (United States Space Force 67), carried two payloads for the Space Force directly into geostationary orbit (GEO) from LC-39A. The Mission See Also USSF-67 Updates…
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SpaceX Falcon Heavy lofts USSF-44 on first flight in three years
The world’s most powerful operational rocket, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, took to the Florida skies for the first time in over three years on Nov. 1 for the USSF-44 mission, a US Space Force contracted flight with a classified payload and at least one rideshare satellite. Liftoff occurred right on time at 9:41 AM EDT (13:41…