ULA Vulcan rocket to launch first national security mission
Aug. 11 (UPI) -- A United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket is gearing up to launch a classified national security payload Tuesday night for the United States Space Force.
The ULA Vulcan rocket, which is being prepped for liftoff from Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, will launch the USSF-106 mission into space between 7:59 p.m. and 8:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.
The Vulcan rocket rolled out to the launch pad earlier Monday, as seen in a ULA post on X.
This marks the first national security launch aboard a Vulcan rocket, which will carry the Navigation Technology Satellite-3.
NTS-3 is the Defense Department's first navigation satellite in nearly five decades. The satellite is managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory and, once in orbit, will protect GPS technology and critical infrastructure from threats of jamming.
"We are excited to be here today, a historic point in our program history," said Col. Jim Horne, USSF, mission director and senior material leader, Space Systems Command.
"We officially end our reliance on Russian-made rocket engines with this launch," Horne added. "And we continue to maintain our assured access to space with at least two independent rocket service companies that we can leverage to get our capabilities on orbit."
For anyone interested in viewing Tuesday's launch, ULA has been keeping track of visibility.
"Wondering if you can see the Vulcan rocket launch? This visibility map shows when and where your best chances are to see USSF106 as it lifts off Tuesday evening from Cape Canaveral," ULA wrote in a separate post.
Wondering if you can see the #VulcanRocket launch? This visibility map shows when and where your best chances are to see #USSF106 as it lifts off Tuesday evening from Cape Canaveral during a window of 7:59 to 8:59 p.m. EDT (2359-0059 UTC).
Stay up-to-date with the countdown and... pic.twitter.com/cXM6Q880al— ULA (@ulalaunch) August 11, 2025
And for anyone not able to see it in person, a live broadcast of the launch is scheduled to begin about 20 minutes before liftoff.
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