United Launch Alliance (ULA) marked a major milestone Tuesday night as its next-generation Vulcan rocket completed its first fully operational flight, lifting two military satellites into space in a mission sanctioned by the U.S. Space Force. The launch not only demonstrated Vulcan’s capabilities for high-stakes national security missions but also cemented its role as the eventual successor to ULA’s Atlas V and now-retired Delta rockets.
Credit: ULA
Standing 198 feet tall and equipped with four solid-fuel strap-on boosters for extra lift, Vulcan roared to life at 8:56 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Its two Blue Origin–built BE-4 methane-fueled engines, producing nearly 3 million pounds of thrust, illuminated the night sky in a fiery spectacle visible for miles.
The boosters separated just 90 seconds after liftoff, followed by main stage cutoff and separation about three and a half minutes later. From there, Vulcan’s Centaur upper stage — powered by twin Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10C hydrogen-fueled engines — took over. As is customary for classified missions, ULA ended its live commentary, with the remainder of the flight proceeding in secrecy.
Onboard were at least two payloads:
A fully classified military satellite whose mission remains undisclosed.
The Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3), an experimental platform designed to test advanced atomic clocks, navigation systems, and jam-resistant communications. Built by L3Harris Technologies, NTS-3 will operate in geosynchronous orbit — 22,300 miles above the equator — using a high-tech phased array antenna capable of directing signals across multiple regions.
NTS-3 represents the Pentagon’s first experimental navigation satellite since the 1970s, part of a broader program that includes a new ground control system and reprogrammable receivers. The technology could enhance or augment the Global Positioning System, ensuring military and commercial users have access to more accurate and resilient navigation data.
“GPS is such an integral part of our lives today,” said Joanna Hinks, senior aerospace engineer with the Air Force Research Laboratory. “With NTS-3, we’re testing technologies to ensure GPS remains the gold standard our warfighters need.”
This was Vulcan’s third overall launch — following two test flights last year — and the first to earn full Space Force certification for carrying high-value national security payloads. It also showcased Vulcan’s ability to perform direct injections to geosynchronous orbit, one of the most demanding and fuel-intensive orbital missions.
Gary Wentz, ULA’s vice president of government and commercial programs, described the mission as “one of our longest to date,” emphasizing Vulcan’s design for deep-space and high-orbit operations.
Vulcan’s debut comes as ULA transitions away from rockets using Russian-built engines, a change driven by both geopolitical pressure and the need for fully American launch capabilities. Only 13 Atlas V rockets remain in ULA’s inventory, all reserved for civilian missions, as the company phases in an all-Vulcan fleet.
The launch also comes amid fierce competition from SpaceX, which has already completed 97 Falcon 9 missions this year. But ULA CEO Tory Bruno argued that Vulcan’s combination of BE-4 engines and high-performance Centaur upper stage gives it a unique advantage for delivering heavy military payloads to specialized orbits.
“If you’re using a typical triple-core heavy rocket for this kind of mission, you have to expend all three cores,” Bruno said. “One core is cheaper and more efficient than three — it’s that simple.”
The efficiency allows payloads to arrive at their final orbits without using up their own onboard fuel, extending their operational lifespans.
ULA is scaling up its operations, aiming for nine Vulcan launches in 2025 and ramping to as many as two launches per month by year’s end. By 2026, the company projects 20 to 25 launches annually.
By Azhar
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