Rocket Report: Vulcan “Many Months” from Flying; Falcon 9 Extends Reuse Milestone

The commercial spaceflight industry faces a significant disruption as United Launch Alliance’s newest heavy-lift vehicle remains grounded while investigators work to resolve persistent technical issues. Meanwhile, SpaceX continues to demonstrate the operational maturity of its Falcon 9 platform with record-breaking reusability achievements.

Vulcan Grounded Indefinitely

The U.S. Space Force has suspended all National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions on ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket following an anomaly that occurred during the USSF-87 mission on February 12[2][3]. The grounding represents a significant setback for both ULA and the military space community, which relies on certified launch providers to maintain assured access to orbit.

During the USSF-87 launch, one of Vulcan’s four solid rocket boosters experienced abnormal behavior approximately 20 seconds after liftoff[3]. Although the rocket’s two BE-4 first-stage engines compensated for the anomaly and successfully delivered the mission’s payloads—two Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) reconnaissance satellites and an experimental spacecraft for the Space Force’s Mission Delta 9 orbital warfare unit—to geosynchronous transfer orbit, the incident triggered immediate action from Space Force leadership[2][3].

“Until the anomaly is resolved, the US Space Force will not launch national security space missions aboard the Vulcan launch vehicle,” stated Col. Eric Zarybnisky, acting portfolio acquisition executive for space access at USSF[2]. Zarybnisky emphasized that the investigation is in its early stages and could take months to complete[2][4].

This marks the second booster-related anomaly in Vulcan’s four operational flights. In October 2024, during a certification launch, a manufacturing defect caused a solid rocket booster nozzle to fail, sending the vehicle temporarily off course[3]. The recurrence of booster problems has raised serious concerns within the Space Force about the vehicle’s readiness for operational missions.

Investigation and Timeline

ULA is collaborating with solid rocket booster supplier Northrop Grumman to investigate the root cause of the February 12 anomaly[2]. The company’s Vice President for Atlas and Vulcan programs characterized the issue as a “significant performance anomaly,” though officials have not yet confirmed whether it shares similarities with the October 2024 incident[5].

Space Force officials have made clear that mission success remains the top priority, but any anomaly demands thorough investigation and corrective action before flights resume[4]. The multi-month timeline for resolution underscores the complexity of the technical issues involved and the Space Force’s commitment to ensuring reliability before resuming national security launches.

Operational Impact

The grounding creates immediate challenges for the Space Force’s launch manifest. Vulcan had been scheduled to conduct seven national security launches in 2026[5]. Most notably, the final GPS III satellite—the tenth in the constellation—was scheduled to launch this spring on a Vulcan rocket[2][4]. The pause threatens to delay this critical capability for the U.S. military’s positioning, navigation, and timing infrastructure.

Interestingly, the Space Force has already demonstrated its flexibility by switching three consecutive GPS III satellites from Vulcan to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket[4]. However, Zarybnisky indicated that no final decision has been made regarding the current GPS III mission, stating that his team is “gathering options to maintain access to space” and working through “a number of tools” to deliver warfighter capability as quickly as possible[2][4].

The Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) satellite, scheduled for May 2026, also remains in flux[5]. These delays could have cascading effects on military space operations and intelligence gathering capabilities.

Broader Industry Context

The Vulcan grounding occurs during a challenging period for ULA. Longtime CEO Tory Bruno departed the company at the end of 2025 to become president of national security at Blue Origin, ULA’s competitor[3]. This leadership transition, combined with the technical issues plaguing Vulcan, creates additional uncertainty for the company’s future in the competitive national security launch market.

ULA has booked more than two dozen national security launches for Vulcan over the coming years[3]. The extended grounding threatens to undermine customer confidence and could accelerate the Space Force’s reliance on SpaceX’s proven Falcon 9 platform, which currently shares NSSL certification responsibilities with Vulcan.

Falcon 9’s Continued Dominance

While Vulcan faces challenges, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 continues to set new records in rocket reusability and operational reliability. The vehicle’s proven track record and increasing flight cadence make it an attractive alternative for national security missions requiring assured access to space. Falcon 9’s demonstrated ability to handle diverse payloads—from military satellites to commercial cargo—positions it as a critical backup during Vulcan’s extended downtime.

Looking Ahead

The Space Force faces a delicate balancing act: maintaining pressure on ULA to resolve the Vulcan issues while ensuring that critical national security payloads reach orbit on schedule. Col. Zarybnisky’s statements indicate the Space Force will exhaust available options to avoid further delays to essential military and intelligence missions.

For the broader commercial spaceflight industry, the Vulcan grounding serves as a reminder that even newly certified launch vehicles can encounter unexpected technical challenges. The coming months will be critical for ULA as it works to identify and correct the booster anomalies, restore Space Force confidence, and reclaim its position as a primary provider of assured access to space for national security missions.

Original source: Ars Technica – Rocket Report: Vulcan “many months” from flying; Falcon 9 extends reuse milestone