United Launch Alliance (ULA) is preparing to launch its first national security mission with the Vulcan rocket, marking a crucial test of the vehicle’s ability to deploy satellites into high orbits.
The mission, set for a launch window beginning at 7:59 p.m. local time on Tuesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, is commissioned by the U.S. Space Force.
It will follow nearly five months after ULA, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) and Boeing (NYSE:BA), received certification from the U.S. Department of Defense to perform national security launches with Vulcan.
As one of only three U.S. companies authorized to carry out the most sensitive and challenging defense missions, ULA shares this responsibility with SpaceX (SPACE) and Blue Origin. Historically, ULA enjoyed a decade-long monopoly on launching satellites that support U.S. military operations, but now faces competition from these newer entrants.
Vulcan, unlike SpaceX (SPACE) and Blue Origin’s reusable rockets, is currently designed for single-use, though ULA has plans to integrate reusability into future versions.
This mission highlights Vulcan’s key strength: its capacity to send heavy satellites into high orbits. The rocket will carry an experimental navigation satellite for the Space Force, along with additional spacecraft, into an orbit 22,000 miles above Earth. The mission will span several hours, making it one of ULA’s longest to date.