United Launch Alliance (ULA) is an American launch service provider, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. As a launch provider, ULA designs, assembles, sells, and launches rockets like the Atlas V and Vulcan Centaur, providing access to space for national security payloads, commercial satellites, and deep-space exploration missions. Its primary customers include the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, and commercial entities. Key activities involve launch services, rocket development, and partnerships with organizations like NASA and ESA for various space missions.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
United Launch Alliance achieved the successful inaugural launch of Vulcan Centaur on 2024-01-08.
United Launch Alliance plans a 2024-03-28 launch of NROL-70 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, as the final flight of the Delta program.
The National Reconnaissance Office plans to launch one of its largest-ever satellites on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy vehicle.
Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander launched on 2024-01-08 on the first flight of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur.
Space Systems Command, the National Reconnaissance Office, and United Launch Alliance are preparing to launch the NROL-70 mission aboard the final Delta IV Heavy rocket no earlier than 2024-03-28 from Space Launch Complex-37B at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
Dream Chaser is planned to launch to space atop United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket, separate from the rocket fairing, deploy its wings from a folded position, and fly semi-autonomously to the International Space Station.
On January 8, the first Vulcan rocket by United Launch Alliance successfully placed the Peregrine lander on a trajectory bound for the Moon.
United Launch Alliance successfully launched its Vulcan rocket in January 2024.
The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition is monitoring United Launch Alliance’s ability to scale and Blue Origin’s ability to deliver BE-4 engines in a timely manner to support a higher launch cadence.
United Launch Alliance is reportedly up for sale with Blue Origin viewed as the leading bidder to purchase the company.
United Launch Alliance is projecting to launch Vulcan at least once a month and to ramp up to two launches per month by 2025.
The U.S. Space Force selected ULA’s Vulcan in 2020 to launch 60% of the 48 missions projected for the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 contract.
United Launch Alliance was created in 2006 through a merger of Boeing’s Delta rocket division and Lockheed Martin’s Atlas launcher rocket family.
United Launch Alliance sought as much as $4,000,000,000 for its assets.
The final sale price for United Launch Alliance is expected to be nearer $2 to $2,500,000,000.
Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander launched 2024-01-08 on the first ULA Vulcan Centaur rocket and suffered a propellant leak hours after liftoff that Astrobotic believes was caused by a malfunctioning valve that overpressurized and burst a tank.
United Launch Alliance has no plans to continue using SLC-37 for its Vulcan rocket and launches its Vulcan rocket from nearby SLC-41.
Sierra Space's Dream Chaser is a lifting body spaceplane intended to launch inside the payload fairing of a ULA Vulcan Centaur rocket.
United Launch Alliance won the largest share of the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 contracts in 2020.
United Launch Alliance’s share of business going to U.S. government customers declined from 76% before 2014 to 41% today.