Space Force looks at moving "significant number" of launches from ULA to SpaceX
4 hours ago
- #Space Force
- #launch anomalies
- #Vulcan rocket
- The U.S. Space Force is facing near-term challenges due to the second grounding of ULA's Vulcan rocket in under two years, likely affecting future Pentagon launch service procurement.
- Vulcan, alongside SpaceX's Falcon 9, is a primary launch vehicle for the Space Force but has only flown four times since January 2024, despite a backlog of nearly 70 launches.
- Anomalies with solid rocket booster exhaust nozzles occurred during two Vulcan flights in October 2024 and February 2025, though missions reached target orbits each time.
- The nozzle malfunctions indicate serious issues at ULA and supplier Northrop Grumman, delaying Vulcan's return to flight for the U.S. military, potentially beyond this year.
- Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant emphasized that Vulcan's reliability problems are a top concern and will influence future military decisions on launch service acquisitions.