{"id":9560,"date":"2026-05-15T00:27:51","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T16:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/ula-confirms-successful-solid-rocket-booster-test-as-vulcan-anomaly-investigation-continues\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T00:27:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T16:27:51","slug":"ula-confirms-successful-solid-rocket-booster-test-as-vulcan-anomaly-investigation-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/ula-confirms-successful-solid-rocket-booster-test-as-vulcan-anomaly-investigation-continues\/","title":{"rendered":"ULA confirms successful solid rocket booster test as Vulcan anomaly investigation continues"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
An anomalous plume is visible from one of the Vulcan\u2019s solid rocket motors during the launch of the USSF-87 mission on Feb. 12, 2026. Image: Adam Bernstein\/Spaceflight Now.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

United Launch Alliance oversaw the completion of a critical milestone in mid-April on the road to resuming flights with its Vulcan rockets.<\/p>\n

On April 15, the company said Northrop Grumman performed a successful static fire test of a Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM) 63XL Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). A spokesperson told Spaceflight Now on Thursday that the test served to \u201cdemonstrate nozzle design enhancements which were already in work and an advanced propellant technology for future solid rocket motors across their portfolio.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe information gathered from this test, along with findings from the investigations will provide critical data to validate analytical models and support Vulcan\u2019s return to flight,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

During the launch a mission for the United States Space Force, dubbed USSF-87, one of the four SRBs attached to the Vulcan booster suffered a nozzle problem prior to SRB separation. The rocket rolled more than intended following the incident.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was some asymmetric thrust when we had that solid motor fail, it reduced performance,\u201d said Gary Wentz, vice president of Government and Commercial Programs at ULA. He spoke with Spaceflight Now in the days leading up to the Artemis 2 launch.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe BE-4s and our avionics system gimbaled to control that. We did see some roll, and the BE-4s were able to compensate to arrest that roll. We were well within our environments and limits, so it was nothing overly concerning for the BE-4s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both the Vulcan booster and the Centaur upper stage performed as expected and ultimately delivered the USSF-87 mission payload to its intended geosynchronous orbit.<\/p>\n

\"\"
United Launch Alliance\u2019s Vulcan rocket, designation V-005, is seen at the pad at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station prior to the launch of the USSF-87 mission for the U.S. Space Force. Image: Michael Cain\/Spaceflight Now<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe integrated U.S. government and contractor team is reviewing the technical data, available imagery and have collected any debris,\u201d the ULA spokesperson said. \u201cWe are in the process of conducting a thorough investigation and will implement any corrective action necessary before we launch the next Vulcan mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wentz said where the pieces of the SRB nozzle came off landed in water that was likely too deep for them to recover, unlike the previous nozzle issue that occurred during the second certification flight of Vulcan back in October 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cVulcan\u2019s going to get back to flight by the end of the year and then we\u2019ll launch our manifest backlog that we have,\u201d Wentz said in response to a question about the increase in launch demand driven in part by NASA\u2019s Moon Base objectives.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re available for other missions. [The Commercial Lunar Payload Services program] had a lot of smaller landers and things that we could fly to do some of those precursor efforts with the Moon and the mission that NASA\u2019s laying out. So, we\u2019re really excited about the opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Return to flight<\/h4>\n

While the timing of a return to flight mission for Vulcan is still be assessed, during his remarks to Spaceflight Now, Wentz said that the customer for the return to flight mission would more than likely be Amazon.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, ULA hoisted the first Vulcan booster inside its newly finished Vertical Integration Facility \u2013 Amazon (VIF-A) near Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Its introduction gives the company two physical lanes with which it can stack its Vulcan rockets in the future.<\/p>\n