Tag: Vulcan
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Atlas V Flight 110 Done: 6 Rockets Locked to Starliner
Are ULA’s Last Six Atlas V Rockets Stranded on Starliner? The Atlas V completed its 110th flight last Thursday — and the six rockets remaining in United Launch Alliance’s inventory can now only fly one customer: Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule. A hardware incompatibility with Vulcan’s payload fairing, the retirement of Atlas V’s five-booster configuration, and…
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GAO Puts $9.5B Missile-Warning Satellite Under Scrutiny
Does the GAO’s 2026 Space Force Report Signal a Defense Space Acquisition Crisis? The Government Accountability Office has put a $9.5 billion price tag on the Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared geosynchronous constellation — and that number is still growing. The GAO’s annual assessment of major defense acquisition programs, released July 2, reviewed 13 Space…
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ULA confirms successful solid rocket booster test as Vulcan anomaly investigation continues
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 oversaw the completion of a critical milestone in mid-April on the road to resuming flights with its Vulcan rockets. On April 15, the company…
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ULA Vulcan Solid Booster Test Success Amid Anomaly Probe
How is ULA’s Vulcan program progressing despite recent setbacks? United Launch Alliance completed a successful static fire test of Vulcan’s solid rocket boosters on May 13, 2026, marking progress in one propulsion system while the company continues investigating an upper stage anomaly that occurred during the rocket’s second certification flight. The test validates the performance…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…