Wednesday, June 17, 2026

ULA's Vulcan flies first national security mission, USSF-106

United Launch AllianceAmazon Leo

United Launch Alliance launched its Vulcan rocket on the USSF-106 mission for the U.S. Space Force on June 11, the rocket's first national security launch and ULA's 101st national security mission overall. The flight followed an anomaly investigation into a Vulcan solid rocket booster issue, resolved after a successful Northrop Grumman GEM 63XL static fire test in mid-April. ULA expects to fly 20 to 25 missions in 2026, including a September Vulcan launch carrying 45 Amazon Leo satellites on an optimized Centaur V upper stage.