Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
4w ago

Vulcan Centaur Rocket Secures U.S. Space Force Certification for National Security Missions

The certification marks a major milestone for ULA after years of delays, paving the way for its first national security launch in summer 2025.

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket launches on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 on the Certification-2 mission. (Courtesy/ULA)
Image
Cert-2 launch
Image

Overview

  • The U.S. Space Force officially certified United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket for national security missions on March 26, 2025.
  • This certification follows two successful test launches in January and October 2024, despite a nozzle detachment issue during the second flight.
  • ULA and Northrop Grumman implemented corrective actions for the nozzle defect, which were validated in February 2025 through a static-fire test.
  • With this milestone, Vulcan joins SpaceX as a certified provider under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program and is eligible for future Phase 3 contracts.
  • ULA plans to conduct its first national security mission, USSF-106, in summer 2025 and aims for a total of 12 launches this year to address a backlog of 24 missions.