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U.S. Space Force certifies ULA’s Vulcan rocket to begin launching national security missions
- The U.S. Space Force has certified ULA's Vulcan rocket to launch national security payloads, marking a significant milestone in the spaceflight community.
- The completion of the certification process allows the Space Systems Command to begin launching National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions using the two-stage, heavy-lift Vulcan rocket.
- The certification process began in 2016 and culminated in the rocket's first certification flight (Cert-1) in January 2024, launching the Peregrine-1 mission for Astrobotic and NASA.
- Following the certification flight, ULA encountered an anomaly during a test flight when one of the solid rocket boosters experienced a burn through, leading to an investigation and subsequent corrective actions.
- ULA completed 52 certification criteria, including payload interface requirements and subsystem design reviews, demonstrating Vulcan's readiness for national security missions.
- The completion of Vulcan's certification is crucial for the NSSL Phase 2 program, which aims to divide national security payload missions between ULA and SpaceX.
- ULA's first NSSL Phase 2 mission, USSF-51, was launched on an Atlas 5 rocket, with plans for Vulcan to carry out upcoming missions including USSF-106 this summer.
- ULA expects to launch Vulcan rockets from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California by the end of the year, further expanding its capabilities for national security space launches.
- The certification of Vulcan aligns with the U.S. government's plans for NSSL Phase 2 missions and signifies a significant advancement in ULA's launch capabilities.
- The rigorous certification process and successful completion validate Vulcan's design for meeting challenging requirements and delivering high performance in national security missions.
- With the certification complete, ULA is poised to play a crucial role in launching national security payloads and supporting the country's space-based systems.
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