ULA’s Vulcan Centaur—a two-stage, heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle—lifts off on its debut national security mission for the U.S. Space Force. Credit: United Launch Alliance
- The United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket successfully completed its inaugural national security mission (USSF-106), launching the Navigation Technology Satellite-3 into geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO).
- This mission marks the debut of Vulcan Centaur within the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, replacing the retired Delta IV Heavy rocket and ending U.S. reliance on Russian-made rocket engines.
- Vulcan Centaur, a two-stage, heavy-lift launch vehicle, deployed a payload of approximately 14,300 pounds to GEO, showcasing its capacity and capabilities.
- ULA secured 26 missions under NSSL’s Phase 2 contract, and further contracts under Phase 3, indicating its continued role in the program alongside SpaceX and other launch providers.
After years of certification snags, the U.S. Space Force finally has its latest National Security Space Launch (NSSL) rocket.
The newest branch of the U.S. armed forces on Tuesday launched United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur to geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO), marking the two-stage, heavy-lift launch vehicle’s debut national security mission. The NSSL program is responsible for sending some of the nation’s most sensitive and advanced space technology to orbit.
Vulcan took the reins from ULA’s Delta IV Heavy, one of the most prolific rockets in U.S. history at the time of its final flight in April 2024. Last year, it completed a pair of certification flights — including the launch of Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander — that paved the way for Tuesday’s mission, dubbed USSF-106.
Vulcan lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida just before 9 p.m. EDT. The variant that flew stood just over 200 feet tall, generating 3 million pounds of thrust from four Northrop Grumman solid rocket boosters as well as a pair of Blue Origin BE-4 main engines.
Following main engine cutoff, the rocket’s Centaur V second stage ignited its RL10C engines, built by Aerojet Rocketdyne and loaded with cryogenic liquid hydrogen and oxygen. According to ULA, Centaur V produces more than twice the energy and is orders of magnitude more durable than its predecessors.
The second stage then headed to GEO, where it deployed an Air Force Vanguard payload called the Navigation Technology Satellite-3—the nation’s first integrated navigation satellite experiment in half a century. Centaur can carry up to 14,300 pounds of payload to GEO.
“After years of development, technical collaboration, and dedication by all involved, including our government mission partners and the entire ULA team, I’m proud to say the first Vulcan NSSL mission delivered its payloads safely into space,” said Colonel Jim Horne, mission director for USSF-106.
‘National security begins at liftoff’
Vulcan is playing a key role in the Space Force’s shift away from foreign-built hardware and systems.
NSSL began awarding contracts for a new generation of commercial launch vehicles in 2018, allocating funding and missions to ULA, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, and a handful of others. To date, all missions have been flown by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy and ULA’s Delta IV and Atlas V.
“National security begins at liftoff,” said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of government and commercial programs, in a statement. “Vulcan did exactly what it was built to do: deliver a critical mission with power, precision and confidence.”
SpaceX decried the selection of Atlas V, arguing that its use of Russian-made engines violated sanctions. The induction of Vulcan, though, “ends U.S. reliance on Russian engines,” per the Space Force.
“Vulcan provides flexibility to our nation’s decision makers as we combat our adversaries’ attempts to disrupt the U.S. in space operations,” said Tory Bruno, ULA CEO and president.
The heavy-lift rocket has an opportunity to build on the legacy of Delta IV Heavy, which at the time of its retirement was the third-highest capacity launch vehicle in operation. Along with Falcon 9, it served as the backbone of the NSSL program. But the competition is heating up.
USSL-106 was the first of 26 missions allocated to ULA under the NSSL’s Phase 2 contract award. SpaceX received 22 Phase 2 missions.
Both companies were again selected for Phase 3 contracts, receiving about $5 billion each and 28 and 19 launches, respectively. Blue Origin’s New Glenn was also part of that award. But Phase 3 is divided into two “lanes.” ULA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin received more rigorous Lane 2 missions, while Rocket Lab and Stoke Space will take on more lenient Lane 1 flights.
The NSSL program is more crowded than it used to be, which places more pressure on ULA to perform. However, Tuesday’s success may be the first step toward cementing Vulcan as the Space Force’s new workhorse.
Editor’s note: This story first appeared on FLYING.
