ULA Vulcan Makes Successful Space Force Debut

Two-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle sends a Space Force craft to geosynchronous Earth orbit.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at 01:19 PM ET

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Jack Daleo

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. [Courtesy: United Launch Alliance]

Key Takeaways:

United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur successfully completed its debut national security mission (USSF-106) for the U.S. Space Force, deploying the Navigation Technology Satellite-3 to geosynchronous Earth orbit.
This launch officially inducts Vulcan into the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, replacing the Delta IV Heavy and marking the end of U.S. reliance on Russian engines for these critical missions.
Vulcan is now positioned as a new workhorse for the Space Force, becoming a key domestic heavy-lift launch vehicle set to compete with providers like SpaceX for future NSSL contracts.

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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.