This is a list of launches made by the Vulcan Centaur rocket since its maiden launch on 8 January 2024.
See main article: Peregrine Mission One. 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, SLC41 | Peregrine lander | 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, SLC41 | Mass simulator | Heliocentric | United Launch Alliance | ||
| 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) | Rocket, configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2025 | Vulcan Centaur VC4S | Cape Canaveral, SLC41 | 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, SLC41 | 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, SLC41 | GPS III SV07[18] | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| First GPS mission for Vulcan Centaur. | |||||
| May 2025[19] | Vulcan Centaur VC4L | Cape Canaveral, SLC41 | 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, SLC3E | SDA T1TR-B | LEO | SDA |
| Tranche 1 Tracking Layer B missile tracking satellites. | |||||
| Q3 2025 | Vulcan Centaur VC2S | Vandenberg, SLC3E | SDA T1TR-D | LEO | SDA |
| Tranche 1 Tracking Layer D missile tracking satellites. | |||||
| December 2025[21] | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC41 | NG-OPIR-GEO 1 (USSF-57) | GEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared satellite. | |||||
| Q4 2025 | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC3E | USSF-114 | U.S. Space Force | |
| Classified payload. | |||||
| 2025[22] | Vulcan Centaur VC4S | Cape Canaveral, SLC41 | USSF-112 | U.S. Space Force | |
| Classified payload. | |||||
| 2025 | Vulcan Centaur VC4 | Cape Canaveral, SLC41 | NROL-64 | NRO | |
| First NRO launch on Vulcan | |||||
| 2025 | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC3E | NROL-83 | NRO | |
| Classified NRO payload. First Vulcan Centaur launch from Vandenberg. | |||||
| 2025 | Vulcan Centaur VC2S | Cape Canaveral, SLC41 | GPS III SV08 | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Eighth GPS Block III navigation satellite. | |||||
| 2025 | Vulcan Centaur VC2S | Cape Canaveral, SLC41 | GPS III SV09 | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| Ninth GPS Block III navigation satellite. NSSL contract for FY2024. | |||||
| 2025[23] | Vulcan Centaur VC4 | Cape Canaveral, SLC41 | 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[24] | Vulcan Centaur VC2L | Cape Canaveral, SLC41 | 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 | Vulcan Centaur | Cape Canaveral, SLC41 | Missile Track Custody 1 (USSF-95) | MEO | U.S. Space Force |
| First launch of Missile Track Custody satellites. | |||||
| Q4 2026 | Vulcan Centaur | Vandenberg, SLC3E | SDA T2TL-B | LEO | SDA |
| Tranche 2 Transport Layer B missile tracking satellites. | |||||