U.S. rocket Vulcan from United Launch Alliance achieves first mission in national security sector
The United Launch Alliance (ULA) has made a significant stride in the realm of space exploration with the successful launch of their Vulcan Centaur rocket on August 12, 2025, for the USSF-106 mission. This landmark event showcases the Vulcan Centaur's potential to replace ULA's retired Delta rockets and phase out the Atlas V, which relied on Russian-built RD-180 engines.
The Vulcan Centaur, a critical component for future U.S. national security space missions, is a two-stage-to-orbit vehicle powered by U.S.-made BE-4 engines. During the USSF-106 mission, the rocket was equipped with four GEM 63XL solid rocket boosters and two BE-4 main engines, aiming to maximize payload capacity and achieve direct geosynchronous orbit (GEO) injection.
The USSF-106 mission marked the first direct-to-GEO insertion demonstration by the Vulcan Centaur rocket. The rocket can carry up to 6,500 kg to GEO in this fully powered configuration, though full Space Force certification was still pending post-flight as of August 2025.
The Vulcan Centaur's upper stage, Centaur V, is noted for its high performance, enabling delivery to "exotic orbits" with precision critical for national security missions. The rocket is capable of 20,000 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with certain booster configurations and up to 6,500 kg to GEO with four solid boosters.
The successful launch of the Vulcan Centaur adds competition and redundancy to the U.S. launch industrial base for sensitive government payloads. The rocket complements SpaceX's Falcon rockets in serving U.S. national security space needs, with SpaceX emphasizing reusability, cost efficiency, and high launch cadence, while ULA's Vulcan focuses on precision delivery, payload mass to specific orbits, and meeting stringent national security requirements.
The Vulcan Centaur lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The rocket delivered two military satellites into geosynchronous orbit during the USSF-106 mission, including the Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3). NTS-3, designed and built by L3Harris Technologies, is the first experimental navigation satellite launched by the U.S. in nearly 50 years. NTS-3 aims to enhance GPS technology by testing advanced anti-jamming and reprogrammable systems.
The successful USSF-106 mission boosts U.S. strategic capabilities in the context of global space competition. However, the second payload on the USSF-106 mission remains classified due to its sensitive nature.
The outcomes of Vulcan Centaur's previous test launches before the USSF-106 mission are not specified in the article. ULA's Vulcan Centaur rocket is a significant step towards increasing launch cadence to meet growing government and commercial demand, aiming for up to 25 launches per year by 2026.
The Vulcan Centaur's success in the USSF-106 mission signifies a potential shift in the space-and-astronomy industry, as it can deliver up to 6,500 kg to geosynchronous orbit (GEO) with four solid rocket boosters, bolstering the space economy by increasing launch cadence. The technology behind the Vulcan Centaur, with its high-performance upper stage and U.S.-made BE-4 engines, emphasizes the importance of commercial space and satellite deployment. This development in space exploration is crucial for science, as the Vulcan Centaur can carry satellites like the Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3), contributing to the advancement of GPS technology and research in space-and-astronomy.
