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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
570
All verified mentions of this launch vehicle family in source documents.
0.0-5.0
Actions

Beyond Gravity supplied components for both a ULA Vulcan rocket mission and an Ariane 64 mission that launched Amazon Leo satellites last week.

RelationshipsGeneralValue 4.5Feb 17, 2026Beyond Gravity Supplies Components for Two Launch Vehicles
Page6of29

The Vulcan mission carried a Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) spacecraft that will be deployed in geostationary orbit to monitor and analyze objects in space.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.5Feb 17, 2026Beyond Gravity Supplies Components for Two Launch Vehicles

Beyond Gravity supplied the payload fairing for the ULA Vulcan rocket.

RelationshipsCapabilityValue 4.0Feb 17, 2026Beyond Gravity Supplies Components for Two Launch Vehicles

Beyond Gravity provided systems for heat protection and separation in flight, including a heat shield in the Vulcan rocket’s engine section designed to withstand high thermal and mechanical stress.

CapabilityRelationshipsValue 4.2Feb 17, 2026Beyond Gravity Supplies Components for Two Launch Vehicles

A ULA Vulcan rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center earlier on Thursday and that launch was supported by Beyond Gravity.

RelationshipsGeneralValue 4.0Feb 17, 2026Beyond Gravity Supplies Components for Two Launch Vehicles

United Launch Alliance designed the Vulcan rocket to be largely expendable rather than fully reusable.

CapabilityValue 4.0Feb 16, 2026Seattle’s lessons for rocket reusability

U.S. Vulcan rocket completed a flight, but its flight experienced issues that will require review before the next national security payload is flown.

PlanGeneralValue 3.0Feb 13, 2026Orbex’s Troubles Open Opportunities for Skyrora

Both the Ariane 64 and United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rockets completed recent launches successfully.

GeneralValue 2.0Feb 13, 2026The First Flight of Ariane 64 Reaches Orbit

Vulcan’s recent flight experienced issues that require review before Vulcan can carry its next national security payload.

PlanCapabilityValue 3.6Feb 13, 2026The First Flight of Ariane 64 Reaches Orbit

United Launch Alliance successfully launched its Vulcan rocket on the USSF-87 mission.

PlanGeneralValue 4.0Feb 13, 2026"observed an anomaly" is certainly a phrase of all times to use here...

During the USSF-87 Vulcan launch the team observed an anomaly on one of Northrop Grumman's GEM 63XL solid rocket boosters.

CapabilityGeneralPlanValue 4.0Feb 13, 2026"observed an anomaly" is certainly a phrase of all times to use here...

The Vulcan launch was the rocket’s second mission under the U.S. National Security Space Launch program.

PlanGeneralValue 3.0Feb 12, 2026Vast Wins Its First Private Astronaut Mission to ISS

Vulcan experienced a similar SRB nozzle loss on the Certification-2 mission.

CapabilityValue 3.5Feb 12, 2026Vulcan uses the same SRB's as Atlas, they're just longer, but only Vulcan is having problems. I suspect this is because Vulcan's GEM63XL's have 25% more thrust then Atlas' GEM63's, but I think the nozzle is identical. Maybe the nozzle is not able to handle the higher thrust?

Telemetry near BECO is available for the two United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur (Vulcan VC4) launches USSF-87 and USSF-106.

CapabilityPlanValue 4.0Feb 12, 2026One thing about the launch though - @ulalaunch is probably correct to report nominal launch performance even with this yet another "observation" - here are the telemetry close to BECO for the 2 Vulcan VC4 launches so far, tonight's USSF-87 on the left & USSF-106 on the right.

A ULA Vulcan rocket lifted off from Florida at 4:22 a.m. carrying a Space Force spacecraft to geosynchronous orbit.

GeneralPlanValue 4.0Feb 12, 2026Vast Wins Its First Private Astronaut Mission to ISS

United Launch Alliance’s 2026 launch queue comprises 2 to 4 Atlas missions and 16 to 18 Vulcan missions.

PlanValue 4.0Feb 12, 2026*press X to doubt*

The Vulcan launch experienced a solid rocket motor performance anomaly.

GeneralValue 3.2Feb 12, 2026Despite the anomaly, Vulcan successfully delivered USSF-87 to GSO. ULA's next launch was supposed to be GPS III SV10 aboard Vulcan, but ULA will perform an investigation before the next Vulcan launch. My guess would be that ULA's next launch now likely is another Leo Atlas.

Gary Wentz is the United Launch Alliance vice president of Atlas and Vulcan Programs.

GovernanceGeneralValue 3.0Feb 12, 2026The problem is of course when's the next launch, and given the long standing SRB issues (including what seems to be a prolonged standdown from last August's USSF-106 launch to this, wonder what happened) it probably will be yet another long while...

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket lifted off from Florida at 4:22am carrying a Space Force spacecraft to geosynchronous orbit.

GeneralCapabilityValue 4.0Feb 12, 2026Vulcan, Ariane 64 Blast Off

Issues with Vulcan’s flight will require review before the rocket’s next national security payload.

PlanValue 3.0Feb 12, 2026Vast Wins Its First Private Astronaut Mission to ISS