The US Space Force has certified the United Launch Alliance (ULA) New Vulcan Centaur rocket to launch a national security mission.
The news, released by the Space Force on Wednesday (March 26th), doubles the number of National Security Space Launch (NSSL) providers. ULA will join SpaceX in this selection group.
“Guaranteed access to space is a core function of the Space Force and an important component of national security,” Brigg said. General Christine Panzenhagen, the program executive officer for the Guaranteed Space Force to Space, said in an emailed statement Wednesday. “Valkan certification adds the launch capacity, resilience and flexibility needed for our country’s most important space-based systems.”
ULA has been working on certifying Vulcan Centaur for its NSSL mission since 2016, and the company has signed an agreement with the US Air Force on this effect.
Related: Facts about ULA’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket
The Vulcan was still in development at the time. This is the future of ULA’s powerful flagship rockets and an alternative to the company’s venerable Atlas V Rocket.
Debuting in 2002, Atlas V has conducted numerous national security launches for the US government over the years. He flew the final NSSL mission last July and is scheduled to retire later this decade.
The Vulcan debuted in January 2024 and successfully sent out a private peregrine Moonlander Aloft. (The Peregrine, built by the Pittsburgh company Astrobotic, suffered a serious abnormality shortly after its separation from the rocket and was unable to reach the moon.)
The new rocket was released again last October and was launched on a test flight that did not carry customer payloads. Despite encountering problems, Vulcan achieved a major objective on its mission, according to ULA. Engine nozzle failure on one of the two solid rocket boosters.
That failure was caused by a manufacturing defect currently being addressed by ULA president and CEO Tory Bruno He spoke to reporters earlier this month..
The Space Forces are clearly pleased with the corrective measures adopted and the prospects of the Vulcan Centaur, as they gave the rocket green light to carry the national security payload.
The process was long and rigorous, military officials said.
“Valkan certification is the pinnacle of several years of effort by Space Force and ULA, and includes 52 certification standards, including over 180 discrete tasks, two authentication flight demonstrations, verification of 60 payload interface requirements, 18 subsystem design and test reviews, establishment of a technical baseline for auditing 114 hardware and software, verification of 2 payload interface requirements, 18 subsystem design and test reviews, and 52 certification standards, including 114 hardware and software software, written in the same statement.
“We are proud to have launched 100 National Security Space Missions and are honored to continue serving our country with the new Vulcan rocket,” Bruno said in a statement. “We appreciate the Space Force for their collaboration and confidence and are honored to be able to support their national security needs for years to come.”
