Vulcan – Spaceflight Now

March 12, 2026

Breaking News

[ March 10, 2026 ] NASA inspector general assesses agency’s management of moon lander risk Artemis
[ March 9, 2026 ] SpaceX launches direct television satellite for EchoStar Falcon 9
[ March 7, 2026 ] NASA contract confirms selection of ULA’s Centaur 5 as new upper stage for the SLS rocket Artemis
[ March 6, 2026 ] SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg SFB Sunday Falcon 9
[ March 5, 2026 ] Spanish launch startup PLD Space raises $209 million to scale its rocket production Miura 5

Vulcan suffers solid rocket booster problem during USSF-87 launch

February 12, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The anomaly appears similar to the nozzle burn through seen during the launch of the second certification flight of a Vulcan rocket.

ULA to launch geosynchronous orbit surveillance satellite for the U.S. Space Force

February 11, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The USSF-87 will be the second national security flight for United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket and the fourth flight of this type of rocket to date. Liftoff from pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is scheduled for 3:30 a.m. EST (0830 UTC).

ULA sets sights on ramping up launch cadence in 2026

February 11, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The company came under new leadership in December following the departure of Tory Bruno, who left the company to join Blue Origin.

ULA offloads first Vulcan rocket at Vandenberg at it preps its next Cape launch

February 6, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

United Launch Alliance is preparing for the launch of the USSF-87 mission for the U.S. Space Force no earlier than Feb. 12, which will fly from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Eastern Range ready for same day fueling of Space Launch System, Vulcan rockets

January 23, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

Florida’s Space Coast is preparing for a future that could see in excess of 350 launches annually.

U.S. Space Force switches rockets for upcoming GPS satellite launch

January 13, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The change will allow the U.S. Space Force to expedite the process of building out its GPS constellation in medium Earth orbit. The launch date for the next satellite, GPS III Space Vehicle 09, could be within weeks.

Launch preview: ULA to launch first national security mission on a Vulcan rocket

August 12, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The mission, dubbed USSF-106, will be the first Vulcan rocket launch since the vehicle was certified by the United States Space Force in late March. Liftoff from pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is schedule for 7:59 p.m. EDT (2359 UTC).

ULA’s Tory Bruno lays out plans for ramping up launch cadence

August 7, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

United Launch Alliance will launch the USSF-106 mission as its first flight for the U.S. Space Force using a Vulcan rocket. The vehicle will carry two satellite missions onboard.

ULA begins stacking its 1st Vulcan rocket supporting a national security mission

July 3, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

This is the second time the rocket is being prepared for launch following a months long delay in certifying the launch vehicle. ULA hasn’t announced a specific launch date, but it’s expected sometime this summer.

U.S. Space Force certifies ULA’s Vulcan rocket to begin launching national security missions

March 27, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The conclusion of certification closes out a process that began in September 2016 and saw the government closely track the development of Vulcan alongside United Launch Alliance. Its first National Security Space Launch mission is targeting liftoff over the summer.