What is the ULA Vulcan rocket? What to know ahead of Space Force national security mission
But plenty more launches should be in the spacecrafts' future – integral as it is to the plans for the United Launch Alliance (ULA.)
The Colorado-based launch service provider, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, has been developing the Vulcan to replace two other venerable rockets in its fleet. Now, the Vulcan's debut flight for the Space Force's Space Systems Command will be its first major test in operation.
Here's everything to know about the Vulcan rocket, and the United Launch Alliance's future plans for the spacecraft.
Florida's Space Coast: Vacationing in Florida and want to catch a rocket launch? What to know
Vulcan rocket launch: When, what is Space Force national security mission?
Launching atop 3 million pounds of thrust, the Vulcan rocket is due to send up a pair of U.S. Space Force national security satellites on one of the company's most ambitious-ever launches. The mission is expected to last more than seven hours and extend more than 22,000 miles above Earth to complete the orbital delivery – significantly higher than the International Space Station, which orbits about 250 miles high.
The silver-and-red Vulcan, equipped with a whopping four side-mounted solid rocket boosters, will get off the ground from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Liftoff is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 12, during an hourlong launch window opening at 7:59 p.m. ET.
The secretive payloads, which ULA has said includes "demonstrations and experiments from Department of Defense customers," will be deployed to a geosynchronous orbit, which matches Earth's 24-hour rotation.
The impending launch, known as USSF-106, marks a major milestone for the United Launch Alliance after its Vulcan rocket was certified in March to fly national security missions for Space Force.
What is the ULA Vulcan?
Vulcan stands at 202 feet tall when fully stacked and is designed to fly with anywhere from zero to six solid rocket boosters – in addition to the main 109-foot-tall booster.
The rocket's Centaur V upper stage is about 38 feet tall and, with its own two engines providing 23,825 pounds of thrust, is what powers the spacecraft to reach such extreme orbital heights after separation.
In addition to national security spaceflights, the Vulcan is also intended for future civil and commercial missions.
When has the Vulcan launched?
Vulcan's maiden spaceflight on Jan. 8, 2024, to propel Astrobotic's ill-fated Peregrine robotic lunar lander into space also doubled as a Space Force certification flight for national security missions. While the launch itself was a success, the Peregrine encountered a slew of issues that prevented it from ever making it to the moon.
Vulcan last launched Oct. 4, 2024, on its second certification spaceflight, carrying a non-deployable test payload into deep space. While a nozzle malfunction on one of the two solid-rocket boosters sent up a shower of sparks 38 seconds after liftoff, the mission was still deemed a success.
The upcoming inaugural national security mission Aug. 12 is slated to be the first of many for Vulcan. Ahead, the Space Force has assigned more than two dozen national security launches to Vulcan rockets at both Cape Canaveral and the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California.
Is Vulcan replacing Atlas V or Delta IV for United Launch Alliance?
The United Launch Alliance is planning for the Vulcan to replace both its Atlas V and the now-retired Delta IV – becoming the company's main workhorse.
Making its debut in 2002, the Atlas V flew 58 national security missions between 2007 and July 2024.
On June 5, 2024, the rocket made its 100th launch in a long-awaited mission to send Boeing's now-infamous Starliner capsule toward the International Space Station with two NASA astronauts aboard. The flight marked the first crewed flight for both Atlas V and Starliner – a mission that made headlines in 2024 and 2025 when its astronauts instead returned to Earth on a SpaceX vehicle.
Atlas V still flies from Cape Canaveral, having served as the launch vehicle for the first two of Amazon's Kuiper internet satellite deployments.
However, Vulcan is also expected to soon begin delivering Kuiper satellites to low-Earth orbit as well.
The Delta IV was retired in April 2024 after its final national security mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. The flight was not only the last Delta IV Heavy launch, but the final mission in ULA's Delta family of rockets.
The Delta IV Heavy famously transported NASA's Parker Solar Probe in 2018 and served on the first orbital test flight of the Orion crew capsule in 2014 – though it never carried astronauts to space.
Vulcan rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida: Livestream, where to watch in person
If weather conditions are ideal, spectators in Florida should be able to see the Vulcan rocket lifting off into the sky from as far as Jacksonville, Cape Coral and Miami. In fact, visibility from most of Florida is possible – well beyond the Space Coast, according to the United Launch Alliance.
The ULA provided a helpful graphic showing the Vulcan rocket's intended flight path and where the spacecraft should be visible as it travels on a trajectory due east.
Watching from home? The United Launch Alliance will also provide a livestream available on its website and YouTube channel.
For the latest news about the launch, visit floridatoday.com/space or click to sign up for a weekly Space newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Vulcan launch planned for Cape Canaveral. What is the ULA rocket?
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