For years, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has dominated US military space launches, providing reliable and cost-effective solutions for missions to space.
That is about to change now as the US Space Force has officially certified United Launch Alliance (ULA)’s Vulcan Centaur rocket to carry critical national security payloads.
This certification marks the successful completion of a rigorous, years-long evaluation process, which included thorough assessments of hardware, software, and subsystem designs.
It also confirms that the Vulcan Centaur has met all 52 criteria required for National Security Space Launch (NSSL) certification.
“Vulcan certification adds launch capacity, resiliency, and flexibility needed by our nation’s most critical space-based systems,” said Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, Program Executive Officer of US Space Force’s Space Systems Command.
Currently, SpaceX and ULA are the only two companies certified to deliver military payloads to space.
Previous Setback
The Vulcan Centaur, designed to replace ULA’s Atlas V and Delta IV rockets, promises “high performance” and “extreme accuracy” for even the most challenging orbits.
The two-stage system features liquid rocket engines in the first stage, while the second stage utilizes the Centaur upper stage, which has been proven on other rockets.
Originally, ULA aimed to complete the NSSL certification process by the end of 2024, but a failed launch in October delayed the milestone.
ULA chief executive Tory Bruno explained that the issue was a manufacturing defect involving the Vulcan’s Northrop Grumman-supplied solid rocket booster.
With the NSSL certification now secured, Vulcan is expected to begin launching critical payloads, with 18 missions planned for this year.
Future Competitors
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket is also vying for NSSL certification. The rocket successfully completed its first certification flight in January at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, meeting its primary goal of reaching orbit.
Additionally, Rocket Lab and Relativity Space are set to begin NSSL certification with their Neutron and Terran R rockets later this year or sometime in 2026.
Northrop Grumman and Firefly Aerospace are also collaborating on the development of the Medium Launch Vehicle, expected to debut in 2026.
