This is a list of launches made by the Vulcan Centaur rocket since its maiden launch on 8 January 2024.
Peregrine Mission One was a lunar lander built by Astrobotic Technology, selected as a part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. It was launched on the maiden flight of Vulcan Centaur on 8 January 2024, 07:18 UTC. [1] The Vulcan Centaur successfully placed Peregrine into trans-lunar injection, however, following a fuel leak with the spacecraft unrelated to the Vulcan Centaur, the lander failed in its attempt to land on the moon. [2]
| Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 January 2024 07:18 | Vulcan Centaur VC2S | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | Peregrine lander | 1,283 kg (2,829 lb) | TLI | Astrobotic Technology | Success [3] |
| Enterprise (space burial) | Heliocentric | Celestis | ||||||
| Maiden flight of Vulcan Centaur and Vulcan Centaur VC2S Configuration. Certification-1 mission, the first of two launches needed to certify the rocket for National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions. Payload from Celestis, demonstrated engine restart capability of the Centaur upper stage delivering multiple payloads to different orbits. The Peregrine payload failed in transit to the Moon, precluding a landing attempt, due to reasons unrelated to the launch vehicle. [4] | ||||||||
| 2 | 4 October 2024 11:25 | Vulcan Centaur VC2S | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | Mass simulator | 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) | Heliocentric | United Launch Alliance | Success |
| Certification-2 mission, the second of two launches needed to certify the rocket for NSSL missions. Originally scheduled to carry the first flight of Dream Chaser; however, due to schedule delays with Dream Chaser, ULA flew a mass simulator with experiments and demonstrations of future Centaur V technologies. [5] [6] Approximately 37 seconds into the launch, the nozzle on one of solid rocket boosters (SRB) fell off resulting in a shower of debris in the exhaust plume. Although the SRB continued to function for its full 90-second burn, the anomaly led to reduced, asymmetrical thrust. This caused the rocket to slightly tilt before the guidance system and main engines successfully corrected and extended their burn by roughly 20 seconds to compensate. Despite the anomaly, the rocket achieved nominal orbital insertion, [7] [8] with the Space Force praising the launch and "the robustness of the total Vulcan system". [9] | ||||||||
Future launches are listed chronologically when firm plans are in place. The order of the later launches is much less certain. [10] Launches are expected to take place "no earlier than" (NET) the listed date.
| Date / time (UTC) [10] | Rocket, configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2025 | Vulcan Centaur VC4S | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-106 (NTS-3) | GSO | U.S. Space Force |
| USSF-106 mission. [11] Maiden flight of Vulcan Centaur VC4S Configuration. [12] [13] First NSSL mission for Vulcan Centaur. [14] It will launch Navigation Technology Satellite 3 (NTS-3), an experimental spacecraft to test technologies for next-generation GPS satellites. | |||||
| Q1 2025 | Vulcan Centaur VC4S | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-87 (GSSAP 7 & 8) | GSO | U.S. Space Force |
| USSF-87 mission. [15] It will launch two identical Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness satellites, GSSAP-7 and 8, directly to a geosynchronous orbit. [16] | |||||
| Q1 2025 | Vulcan Centaur VC2S [17] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | GPS III SV07 [18] | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| First GPS mission for Vulcan Centaur. | |||||
| May 2025 [19] | Vulcan Centaur VC4L [13] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | SSC Demo-1 (Dream Chaser Tenacity) | LEO (ISS) | NASA (CRS) |
| First flight of Dream Chaser. Maiden flight of the Vulcan Centaur VC4L configuration. | |||||
| Q3 2025 [20] | Vulcan Centaur VC2S | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E | SDA T1TR-B | LEO | SDA |
| Tranche 1 Tracking Layer B missile tracking satellites. | |||||
| Q3 2025 [20] | Vulcan Centaur VC2S | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E | SDA T1TR-D | LEO | SDA |
| Tranche 1 Tracking Layer D missile tracking satellites. | |||||
| December 2025 [21] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 [22] | NG-OPIR-GEO 1 (USSF-57) | GEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared satellite. | |||||
| Q4 2025 [20] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E | USSF-114 | TBA | U.S. Space Force |
| Classified payload. | |||||
| 2025 [23] | Vulcan Centaur VC4S | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | USSF-112 | TBA | U.S. Space Force |
| Classified payload. | |||||
| 2025 [20] | Vulcan Centaur VC4 | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | NROL-64 | TBA | NRO |
| First NRO launch on Vulcan | |||||
| 2025 [20] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E | NROL-83 | TBA | NRO |
| Classified NRO payload. First Vulcan Centaur launch from Vandenberg. | |||||
| 2025 [7] | Vulcan Centaur VC2S [17] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | GPS III SV08 [18] | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Eighth GPS Block III navigation satellite. | |||||
| 2025 [7] | Vulcan Centaur VC2S [17] | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | GPS III SV09 [18] | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Ninth GPS Block III navigation satellite. NSSL contract for FY2024. | |||||
| 2025 [24] | Vulcan Centaur VC4 | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | PTS-P | GEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Protected Tactical Satcom prototype payload. The PTS payload will fly on dedicated Northrop Grumman built ESPAStar-HP satellite bus. | |||||
| 2025 [23] [25] | Vulcan Centaur VC2L | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 | WGS-11 | GEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Military communications satellite. Maiden flight of the Vulcan Centaur VC2L configuration. | |||||
| Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 [21] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC‑41 [22] | Missile Track Custody 1 (USSF-95) | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| First launch of Missile Track Custody satellites. | |||||
| Q4 2026 [21] | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC‑3E | SDA T2TL-B | LEO | SDA |
| Tranche 2 Transport Layer B missile tracking satellites. | |||||
The Centaur is a family of rocket propelled upper stages that has been in use since 1962. It is currently produced by U.S. launch service provider United Launch Alliance, with one main active version and one version under development. The 3.05 m (10.0 ft) diameter Common Centaur/Centaur III flies as the upper stage of the Atlas V launch vehicle, and the 5.4 m (18 ft) diameter Centaur V has been developed as the upper stage of ULA's new Vulcan rocket. Centaur was the first rocket stage to use liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellants, a high-energy combination that is ideal for upper stages but has significant handling difficulties.
National Security Space Launch (NSSL) is a program of the United States Space Force (USSF) intended to assure access to space for United States Department of Defense and other United States government payloads. The program is managed by the Assured Access to Space Directorate (SSC/AA) of the Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC), in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office.
Blue Origin Enterprises, L.P., commonly referred to as Blue Origin, is an American aerospace manufacturer and launch service provider. The company makes rocket engines for United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket and is currently operating its suborbital reusable New Shepard vehicle and its heavy-lift launch vehicle named New Glenn. It is developing the Blue Moon human lunar lander for NASA's Artemis program, and Orbital Reef space station in partnership with other companies.
Atlas V is an expendable launch system and the fifth major version in the Atlas launch vehicle family. It was designed by Lockheed Martin and has been operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA) since 2006. It is used for DoD, NASA, and commercial payloads. It is America's longest-serving active rocket. After 87 launches, in August 2021 ULA announced that Atlas V would be retired, and all 29 remaining launches had been sold. As of July 2024, 15 launches remain. Production ceased in 2024. Other future ULA launches will use the Vulcan Centaur rocket.
United Launch Alliance, LLC (ULA) is an American launch service provider formed in December 2006 as a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. The company designs, assembles, sells and launches rockets, but the company subcontracts out the production of rocket engines and solid rocket boosters.
Astrobotic Technology, Inc., commonly referred to as Astrobotic, is an American private company that is developing space robotics technology for lunar and planetary missions. It was founded in 2007 by Carnegie Mellon professor Red Whittaker and his associates with the goal of winning the Google Lunar X Prize. The company is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Their first launch occurred on January 8, 2024, as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The launch carried the company's Peregrine lunar lander on board the first flight of the Vulcan Centaur rocket from Florida's Space Force Station LC-41. The mission was unable to reach the Moon for a soft or hard landing. On June 11, 2020, Astrobotic received a second contract for the CLPS program. NASA would pay Astrobotic US$199.5 million to take the VIPER rover to the Moon, targeting a landing in November 2024. In July 2024, NASA announced that VIPER had been cancelled.
A heavy-lift launch vehicle (HLV) is an orbital launch vehicle capable of generating a large amount of lift to reach its intended orbit. Heavy-lift launch vehicles generally are capable of lifting payloads between 20,000 to 50,000 kg or between 20,000 to 100,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit (LEO). As of 2024, operational heavy-lift launch vehicles include the Long March 5 and the Proton-M.
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Vulcan Centaur is a heavy-lift launch vehicle created and operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA). It is a two-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle consisting of the Vulcan first stage and the Centaur second stage. It replaces ULA's Atlas V and Delta IV rockets. It is principally designed for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, which launches satellites for U.S. intelligence agencies and the Defense Department, but ULA believes it will also be able to price missions low enough to attract commercial launches.
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