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Launch Vehicles
Vehicle family profile

Vulcan

Family-level launch record combining canonical variants, historical missions, public cadence forecasts, and available payload performance specs.

United Launch Alliance (ULA)Active
Admin
Variants
6
Canonical variants linked to this family.
Historical missions
4
Missions in the public mission table with actual launch dates.
Peak listed capacity
27,200 kg
Maximum payload capacity across listed variants and orbits.

Launch Cadence

Historical missions are grouped by actual launch year. Forecast cadence uses family-level launch-rate rows.

YearHistorical missionsForecast launches
202420
202510
2026114
2027019
2028023
2029025
2030025
2031025
2032025
2033025
2034025
2035025
2036025
2037025
2038025
2039025
2040025

Performance Specs

Payload capacity by variant and target orbit when structured capacity rows are available.

VariantOrbitCapacityAltitudeInclinationSource
Vulcan Centaur VC4L
LEO27,200 kgUnknownUnknownManual Vulcan VC4L fallback from nearby Vulcan Centaur performance profile.
Vulcan Centaur VC4S
LEO27,200 kgUnknownUnknownULA Vulcan Launch Systems User Guide
Vulcan Centaur VC6S
LEO27,200 kg200 km

Recent Missions

Latest launched missions using variants in this family.

MissionVariantLaunch
USSF-87
Vulcan Centaur VC4S
Feb 12, 2026
USSF-106
Vulcan Centaur VC4S
Aug 13, 2025
CERT-2
Vulcan Centaur VC2S
Oct 4, 2024
Peregrine

Variants

Canonical variants rolled up into this launch vehicle family.

VariantStagesMissionsStatus
Vulcan Centaur VC2L
Not stated0Active
Vulcan Centaur VC2S
Not stated2Active
Vulcan Centaur VC4L
Not stated0Active
Vulcan Centaur VC4S
Not stated2Active
2041025

Forecast Location Split

2 launch locations represented.

YearLocationLaunchesConfidenceBasis
2026Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)1065%Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida a...
2026Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)450%Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabi...
2027Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)1365%Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida a...
2027Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)650%Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabi...
2028Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)1565%Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida a...
2028Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)850%Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabi...
2029Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)1665%Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida a...
2029Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)950%Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabi...
2030Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)1665%Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida a...
2030Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)950%Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabi...
2031Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)1665%Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida a...
2031Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)950%Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabi...
2032Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)1665%Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida a...
2032Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)950%Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabi...
2033Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)1665%Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida a...
2033Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)950%Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabi...
2034Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)1665%Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida a...
2034Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)950%Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabi...
2035Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)1665%Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida a...
2035Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)950%Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabi...
2036Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)1665%Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida a...
2036Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)950%Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabi...
2037Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)1665%Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida a...
2037Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)950%Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabi...
Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)
2026 · 65% confidence
10

Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida and Vandenberg after ...

Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)
2026 · 50% confidence
4

Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabilize.

Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)
2027 · 65% confidence
13

Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida and Vandenberg after ...

Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)
2027 · 50% confidence
6

Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabilize.

Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)
2028 · 65% confidence
15

Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida and Vandenberg after ...

28.7 deg
ULA Vulcan public performance page
Vulcan Centaur VC6L
LEO27,200 kg200 km28.7 degULA Vulcan public performance page
Vulcan Centaur VC6L
LEO25,600 kg407 km51.6 degULA Vulcan Launch Systems User Guide October 2023
Vulcan Centaur VC6L
Polar23,900 kg200 km90 degULA Vulcan public performance page
Vulcan Centaur VC6S
Polar23,900 kg200 km90 degULA Vulcan public performance page
Vulcan Centaur VC6L
SSO22,300 kg555 km98.75 degULA Vulcan Launch Systems User Guide October 2023
Vulcan Centaur VC2L
LEO19,000 kg200 km28.7 degULA Vulcan public performance page
Vulcan Centaur VC4L
SSO18,500 kg555 km98.75 degULA Vulcan Launch Systems User's Guide October 2023
Vulcan Centaur VC2S
LEO16,300 kg407 km51.6 degULA Vulcan Launch Systems User's Guide
Vulcan Centaur VC2L
LEO16,300 kg407 km51.6 degULA Vulcan Launch Systems User Guide / public performance page
Vulcan Centaur VC2L
Polar15,200 kg200 km90 degULA Vulcan public performance page
Vulcan Centaur VC6L
GTO14,500 kgUnknown27 degULA Vulcan public performance page
Vulcan Centaur VC2S
SSO14,400 kg555 km98.75 degULA Vulcan Launch Systems User's Guide
Vulcan Centaur VC6S
GTO14,400 kgUnknown27 degULA Vulcan Launch Systems User Guide October 2023
Vulcan Centaur VC6S
GTO12,000 kgUnknown19.2 degULA Vulcan Launch Systems User Guide October 2023
Vulcan Centaur VC4S
GTO11,600 kgUnknown27 degULA Vulcan Launch Systems User's Guide
Vulcan Centaur VC6L
TLI11,500 kgUnknownUnknownULA Vulcan public performance page
Vulcan Centaur VC6S
TLI11,300 kgUnknownUnknownULA Vulcan Launch Systems User Guide October 2023
Vulcan Centaur VC6S
HEO10,600 kgUnknown63.4 degULA Vulcan Launch Systems User Guide October 2023
Vulcan Centaur VC4S
GTO9,500 kgUnknown19.2 degULA Vulcan Launch Systems User's Guide
Vulcan Centaur VC4L
GTO9,500 kgUnknownUnknownManual Vulcan VC4L fallback from nearby Vulcan Centaur performance profile.
Vulcan Centaur VC4S
TLI9,100 kgUnknownUnknownULA Vulcan Launch Systems User's Guide
Vulcan Centaur VC4S
HEO8,900 kgUnknown63.4 degULA Vulcan Launch Systems User's Guide
Vulcan Centaur VC2L
GTO8,400 kgUnknown27 degULA Vulcan public performance page
Vulcan Centaur VC2S
GTO8,300 kgUnknown27 degULA Vulcan Launch Systems User's Guide
Vulcan Centaur VC6L
MEO8,100 kg20,368 km55 degULA Vulcan public performance page
Vulcan Centaur VC6S
MEO7,900 kg20,368 km55 degULA Vulcan Launch Systems User Guide October 2023
Vulcan Centaur VC6S
escape7,600 kgUnknownUnknownULA Vulcan Launch Systems User Guide October 2023
Vulcan Centaur VC2S
Jan 8, 2024

Forecasted Missions

Upcoming mission rows with announced launch timing.

MissionVariantAnnounced

No forecasted missions

No upcoming announced mission rows are linked to this vehicle family.

Vulcan Centaur VC6L
Not stated0Active
Vulcan Centaur VC6S
Not stated0Active
Track
Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)
2028 · 50% confidence
8

Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabilize.

Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)
2029 · 65% confidence
16

Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida and Vandenberg after ...

Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)
2029 · 50% confidence
9

Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabilize.

Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)
2030 · 65% confidence
16

Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida and Vandenberg after ...

Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)
2030 · 50% confidence
9

Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabilize.

Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral (Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida)
2031 · 65% confidence
16

Base assumes ULA reaches its stated 18-22 total annual company cadence in 2026 only partially on Vulcan, then stabilizes around 25 Vulcan/year across Florida and Vandenberg after ...

Space Launch Complex 3-East, Vandenberg AFB (South Vandenberg AFB, California)
2031 · 50% confidence
9

Vandenberg supports NSSL/polar missions. Base ramps from a small 2026 count to a mature 9/year as pad, upper-stage, SRB, and national-security processing stabilize.

Mentions
574
All verified mentions of this launch vehicle family in source documents.
0.0-5.0
Actions

The Centaur V upper stage is for the V-012 Vulcan launch vehicle.

GeneralPlanValue 3.2Oct 8, 2025While Blue Origin is moving their big booster, ULA is moving a smaller "LEO optimized" version of their Centaur V upper stage. This should be for the V-012 Vulcan, which is set to launch the Project Kuiper KV-01 mission before the end of the year. 📸 http://nsf.live/spacecoast
Page13of29

The V-012 Vulcan is set to launch the Project Kuiper KV-01 mission before the end of the year.

PlanGeneralValue 4.0Oct 8, 2025While Blue Origin is moving their big booster, ULA is moving a smaller "LEO optimized" version of their Centaur V upper stage. This should be for the V-012 Vulcan, which is set to launch the Project Kuiper KV-01 mission before the end of the year. 📸 http://nsf.live/spacecoast

The Vulcan swing arm is located on SLC3E at Vandenberg.

GeneralValue 2.3Oct 5, 2025RT by @Cosmic_Penguin: Cool pic of the new Vulcan swing arm on SLC3E at Vandenberg.

ULA will use its Vulcan rocket to launch NROL-88 for the NRO and USSF-88 carrying the Lockheed Martin-built GPS IIIF-4 satellite.

PlanCapabilityRelationshipsValue 4.7Oct 3, 2025Latest News

Beyond Gravity is supplying payload fairings for ULA Vulcan rockets for Amazon’s Project Kuiper.

RelationshipsGeneralValue 4.0Sep 29, 2025Latest News

Project Kuiper will have 129 satellites after Thursday's deployment, with plans for 3,200 satellites using eight Atlas V and 38 Vulcan rockets.

PlanGrowthCapabilityValue 4.0Sep 25, 2025SpaceX, ULA plan rocket launches Thursday morning from Cape Canaveral

ULA is preparing for 38 Kuiper launches on the Vulcan rocket.

PlanGeneralValue 3.5Sep 25, 2025Latest News

The United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket had its inaugural launch on January 8, 2024.

PlanValue 3.5Sep 2, 2025The intersection of cultural beliefs and mythos with non-governmental space activities and its potential impact to national interests and great power competition

The January 8, 2024 Vulcan mission included the first US attempt in more than 50 years to soft-land a vehicle on the lunar surface.

PlanGeneralValue 3.0Sep 2, 2025The intersection of cultural beliefs and mythos with non-governmental space activities and its potential impact to national interests and great power competition

The January 8, 2024 Vulcan mission included the first U.S. attempt in more than 50 years to soft-land a space vehicle on the lunar surface by a U.S. entity.

CapabilityValue 4.0Sep 2, 2025The intersection of cultural beliefs and mythos with non-governmental space activities and its potential impact to national interests and great power competition

The United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket made its inaugural launch on January 8, 2024.

PlanValue 4.0Sep 2, 2025The intersection of cultural beliefs and mythos with non-governmental space activities and its potential impact to national interests and great power competition

The Space Force approved the use of Vulcan for national security launches after completing data analysis from two previous launches.

LegalValue 4.0May 5, 2025Playing catchup

United Launch Alliance is depending on Amazon as the anchor customer for its Vulcan rocket.

RelationshipsValue 4.0May 5, 2025Playing catchup

Amazon is relying on United Launch Alliance's Atlas and Vulcan rockets to deploy more than half of the Project Kuiper constellation.

RelationshipsPlanValue 4.0May 5, 2025Playing catchup

ULA expects to conduct about a dozen launches in 2025, including the first launches of Vulcan for Project Kuiper satellites.

PlanGrowthValue 4.2May 5, 2025Playing catchup

ULA is preparing for its first two national security launches of Vulcan for the Space Force.

PlanValue 3.8May 5, 2025Playing catchup

Mission Delta 31 and Lockheed Martin modified SV-07’s payload launch adapter so the satellite could launch on a Falcon 9 instead of a Vulcan rocket.

CapabilityPlanValue 4.0Dec 16, 2024SpaceX launches U.S. Space Force ‘rapid response’ GPS mission

Vulcan was originally assigned three GPS III launches — SV-07, SV-08, and SV-09 — while SpaceX received SV-10.

PlanValue 4.0Dec 16, 2024SpaceX launches U.S. Space Force ‘rapid response’ GPS mission

Atmos’s technology uses an inflatable heat shield similar to NASA’s 2022 LOFTID demonstration and to an inflatable concept United Launch Alliance proposed to recover the Vulcan rocket’s engine section.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Dec 10, 2024Atmos Space Cargo appoints Garver as strategic adviser

The British independent nuclear deterrent in the 1950s was provided by the V-bomber force, which consisted of the Valiant, Vulcan, and Victor aircraft.

GeneralValue 2.0Nov 18, 2024Blue Streak: Missile in search of a mission