{"id":37764,"date":"2025-03-26T19:16:29","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T19:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2025\/03\/26\/space-force-oks-vulcan-rocket-as-spacex-competitor-for-military-launch\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:21:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:21:06","slug":"space-force-oks-vulcan-rocket-as-spacex-competitor-for-military-launch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/space\/2025\/03\/26\/space-force-oks-vulcan-rocket-as-spacex-competitor-for-military-launch\/","title":{"rendered":"Space Force OKs Vulcan rocket as SpaceX competitor for military launch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Space Force said Wednesday it has certified United Launch Alliance\u2019s Vulcan Centaur rocket to fly military launch missions, positioning the company to compete with SpaceX for future contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cVulcan certification adds launch capacity, resiliency, and flexibility needed by our nation\u2019s most critical space-based systems,\u201d Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, Space Systems Command\u2019s program executive officer for assured access to space, said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To achieve certification for National Security Space Launch, or NSSL, missions, companies must complete a rigorous, yearslong process tailored to their rocket\u2019s unique capabilities. For Vulcan, that process started in 2016. Since then, the Space Force and ULA validated the rocket met 52 certification criteria, including 18 subsystem design and test reviews and 114 audits of the spacecraft\u2019s hardware and software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The final steps of that process featured two Vulcan launches, the first in January 2024 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/space\/2024\/10\/04\/united-launch-alliances-vulcan-flies-second-certification-mission\/\" target=\"_blank\">and the second last October<\/a>. During the second mission, the rocket suffered an anomaly involving its Northrop Grumman-provided solid rocket booster. In February, ULA CEO Tory Bruno told reporters the issue was found to be a manufacturing defect involving a booster component.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The investigation into that root cause appears to have delayed the Space Force\u2019s certification process, which was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/space\/2024\/11\/21\/space-force-missions-delayed-by-rocket-woes-may-not-launch-this-year\/\" target=\"_blank\">expected to wrap up by the end of 2024.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a statement Wednesday, Bruno said the Space Force\u2019s long-awaited sign-off positions Vulcan to meet the service\u2019s \u201cexpanding spectrum of missions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis next-generation rocket provides high performance and extreme accuracy while continuing to deliver to our customer\u2019s most challenging and exotic orbits,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ULA and SpaceX are the only companies with rockets certified to fly NSSL missions. For years prior to the certification of SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket, ULA with its legacy Atlas V and Delta IV rockets \u2014 which the company is retiring \u2014 was the sole provider of military launch services.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/space\/2020\/08\/07\/after-a-hard-fought-competition-ula-and-spacex-to-remain-militarys-rocket-launch-providers\/\" target=\"_blank\"> In 2020, SpaceX won a 40% share of those missions<\/a> slated to fly between fiscal years 2022 and 2027 with ULA maintaining the remaining 60%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vulcan\u2019s certification means SpaceX\u2019s line of Falcon rockets should have at least one competitor for future launches, though several other companies are lining up behind the two firms. One of those contenders is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/space\/2025\/01\/16\/blue-origins-new-glenn-rocket-debuts\/#:~:text=Blue%20Origin%20is%20also%20in,can%20support%20government%20schedule%20requirements.\" target=\"_blank\">Blue Origin\u2019s New Glenn rocket<\/a>, which conducted its first certification flight in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A handful of other firms are further behind in their launch vehicle development. Rocket Lab hopes to fly its Neutron rocket by December 2025 and Relativity Space plans to launch its Terran R sometime next year. Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman and Firefly Aerospace have partnered to develop the Medium Launch Vehicle and are also targeting a 2026 debut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking March 20 at a virtual Defense One conference, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said the service is encouraged by the number of companies looking to break into the military space launch market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was only about 10 years ago when we had one provider and just a few rocket systems,\u201d Saltzman said. \u201cI think we\u2019re on the right trajectory.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vulcan\u2019s certification means SpaceX should have at least one competitor for future launches \u2014 though several other firms are lining up behind them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":79420,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":37,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[7,29,13,37],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3260],"class_list":["post-37764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-battlefield-tech","category-home","category-industry","category-space"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"VTEP7JCF75AJZICQPUTLXFIDRA","arc_canonical_url":"\/space\/2025\/03\/26\/space-force-oks-vulcan-rocket-as-spacex-competitor-for-military-launch\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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