List of Vulcan launches
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of launches made by the Vulcan Centaur rocket since its maiden launch on January 8, 2024. All future launches are on hold pending an investigation.[1]
Notable missions
Peregrine Mission One
Peregrine Mission One was a lunar lander built by Astrobotic Technology, selected as a part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. It was launched on the maiden flight of Vulcan Centaur on January 8, 2024, at 07:18 UTC.[2] The Vulcan Centaur successfully placed Peregrine into trans-lunar injection, however, following a fuel leak with the spacecraft unrelated to the Vulcan Centaur, the lander failed in its attempt to land on the Moon.[3]
Launch statistics
- Launch sites
1
2
2024
2025
2026
- Rocket configurations
1
2
2024
2025
2026
- VC0
- VC2
- VC4
- VC6
Launch history
2024
| Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 8, 2024 07:18 |
Vulcan Centaur VC2S | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | Peregrine lander | 1,283 kg (2,829 lb) | TLI | Astrobotic Technology | Success[4] |
| Enterprise (space burial) | Heliocentric | Celestis | ||||||
| Maiden flight of Vulcan Centaur and Vulcan Centaur VC2S Configuration. Certification-1 mission, the first of two launches needed to certify the rocket for National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions. Payload from Celestis, demonstrated engine restart capability of the Centaur upper stage delivering multiple payloads to different orbits. The Peregrine payload failed in transit to the Moon, precluding a landing attempt, due to reasons unrelated to the launch vehicle.[5] | ||||||||
| 2 | October 4, 2024 11:25 |
Vulcan Centaur VC2S | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | Mass simulator | 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) | Heliocentric | United Launch Alliance | Success |
| Certification-2 mission, the second of two launches needed to certify the rocket for NSSL missions. Originally scheduled to carry the first flight of Dream Chaser; however, due to schedule delays with Dream Chaser, ULA flew a mass simulator with experiments and demonstrations of future Centaur V technologies.[6][7] Approximately 37 seconds into the launch, the nozzle on one of solid rocket boosters (SRB) fell off resulting in a shower of debris in the exhaust plume. Although the SRB continued to function for its full 90-second burn, the loss of the nozzle led to reduced and asymmetrical thrust causing the rocket to momentarily tilt slightly. The guidance system adjusted the main engines and extended their burn by roughly 20 seconds to compensate for the loss with the rocket achieving nominal orbital insertion.[8][9] The nozzle failure was attributed to a manufacturing defect in an insulator located inside the nozzle.[10] | ||||||||
2025
| Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | August 13, 2025 00:56 |
Vulcan Centaur VC4S | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-106 (NTS-3 & TBA) | ~1,250 kg (2,760 lb) | GSO | U.S. Space Force | Success |
| USSF-106 mission.[11] Maiden flight of Vulcan Centaur VC4S Configuration.[12][13] First NSSL mission for Vulcan Centaur.[14] Carried Navigation Technology Satellite 3 (NTS-3), an experimental spacecraft to test technologies for next-generation GPS satellites. | ||||||||
2026
| Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | February 12, 2026 09:22 |
Vulcan Centaur VC4S[15] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-87 | Unknown | GSO | U.S. Space Force | Success |
| Primary GSSAP 7 & 8 with multiple secondary payloads aboard Northrop Grumman’s ESPAStar platform.[16] Once again one GEM 63XL SRB malfunctioned with the rocket core stage compensating and allowing the rocket to achieve a nominal orbital insertion.[17] This second SRB malfunction has led to the US Space Force pausing NSSL launches on Vulcan until issues with its SRBs are resolved, potentially necessitating switching missions to other rockets.[18][19]
This was the first launch to use the ULA's Offline Vertical Integration (OVI) process and was ULA’s longest mission to date, lasting nearly 10 hours from liftoff to end of mission.[20] | ||||||||
Future launches
Future launches are listed chronologically when firm plans are in place. The order of the later launches is much less certain.[21] Launches are expected to take place "no earlier than" (NET) the listed date.
2026
| Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026[22][23][24][25] | Vulcan Centaur VC6L[13] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | LeoSat × 40 (LV-01)[26] | LEO | Amazon (Amazon Leo) |
| First of 38 Vulcan Centaur launches for Amazon Leo, formerly Project Kuiper. First planned launch of Vulcan's most powerful configuration, VC6. First planned launch to use the shortened LEO-optimized Centaur V.[27] First Vulcan to be integrated in VIF-A.[28] | |||||
| 2026[29] | Vulcan Centaur VC6L[13] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | LeoSat × 40 (LV-02) | LEO | Amazon (Amazon Leo) |
| Second of 38 Vulcan Centaur launches for Amazon Leo, formerly Project Kuiper. | |||||
| 2026[30] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41[31] | USSF-57 (NG-OPIR-GEO 1) | GEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared satellite. | |||||
| 2026[32][33] | Vulcan Centaur VC2S | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E | SDA T1TR-B | LEO | SDA |
| Tranche 1 Tracking Layer B missile tracking satellites. First Vulcan launch from Vandenberg. | |||||
| 2026[34] | Vulcan Centaur VC4 | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | NROL-64 | TBA | NRO |
| First NRO launch on Vulcan.[32] Possibly SunRISE 1-6 as secondary. | |||||
| 2026[32] | Vulcan Centaur VC2S | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E | SDA T1TR-D | LEO | SDA |
| Tranche 1 Tracking Layer D missile tracking satellites. | |||||
| 2026[30] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E | SDA T2TL-B | LEO | SDA |
| Tranche 2 Transport Layer B missile tracking satellites. | |||||
| 2026[35] | Vulcan Centaur VC4L[13] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | SSC Demo-1 (Dream Chaser Tenacity) | LEO (ISS) | NASA (CRS) |
| First flight of Dream Chaser. Maiden flight of the Vulcan Centaur VC4L configuration. | |||||
| 2026[36] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-43 (LDPE-4 & TBA) | TBA | U.S. Space Force |
| Rapid On-orbit Space Technology Evaluation Ring (ROOSTER)-4[37] | |||||
| 2026[38][39][40] | Vulcan Centaur VC2L | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | WGS-11 (PTS-P1) | GEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Military communications satellite. Maiden flight of the Vulcan Centaur VC2L configuration. Protected Tactical Satcom prototype payload. The PTS payload will fly on dedicated Northrop Grumman built ESPAStar-HP satellite bus. | |||||
| 2026[38] | Vulcan Centaur VC4S | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-112 | TBA | U.S. Space Force |
| Classified payload. | |||||
| 2026[36] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-23 | TBA | U.S. Space Force |
| Classified payload. | |||||
| 2026[36] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-16 | TBA | U.S. Space Force |
| Classified payload. | |||||
| 2026[32] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E | USSF-114 | TBA | U.S. Space Force |
| Classified payload. | |||||
| 2026[32] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E | NROL-83 | TBA | NRO |
| Classified NRO payload. First announced Vulcan Centaur launch from Vandenberg. | |||||
| 2026[30] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41[31] | Silentbarker 2A, 2B, 2C (NROL-118) | GEO | U.S. Space Force (NRO) |
| Classified USSF & NRO partnered program. | |||||
| 2026[30] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41[31] | NROL-56 | TBA | NRO |
| Classified NRO payload. | |||||
| 2026[30] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E[31] | NROL-73 | TBA | NRO |
| Classified NRO payload. | |||||
| 2026[30] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E[31] | NROL-100 | TBA | NRO |
| Classified NRO payload. | |||||
| 2026[30] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41[31] | NROL-109 | TBA | NRO |
| Classified NRO payload. | |||||
| 2026[30] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41[31] | STP-5 | LEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Two satellites for Department of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office[41] | |||||
| 2026[30] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41[31] | Missile Track Custody 1 (USSF-95) | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| First launch of Missile Track Custody satellites. | |||||
2027
| Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q2 2027[42] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | GPS IIIF-1[43] | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| First GPS Block IIIF navigation satellite. | |||||
| Q2 2027[42] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | GPS IIIF-2[43] | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Also designated USSF-49 under NSSL. | |||||
| 2027[44] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-50 (NG-OPIR-GEO 2) | GEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared satellite. | |||||
| 2027 | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | NROL-88[45] | TBA | NRO |
| Classified NRO Mission. | |||||
2028
| Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2028[42] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | GPS IIIF-3[43] | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Also designated USSF-15 under NSSL. | |||||
| Q3 2028[42] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | GPS IIIF-4[46] | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Also designated USSF-88 under NSSL. | |||||
| Q3 2028 | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-70 [47] | U.S. Space Force | |
| Swapped with Falcon 9 due to GPS IIII SV10 switch under National Security Space Launch. | |||||
TBD
| Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBD[22] | Vulcan Centaur VC6L[13] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | LeoSat × 45 (LV-03 to LV-38) | LEO | Amazon (Amazon Leo) |
| 38 Vulcan Centaur launches ordered for Amazon Leo. | |||||
