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.
The value of the GOES-U contract, $152.5 million, is slightly less than the $165,700,000 award made to United Launch Alliance in December 2019 for the GOES-T launch.
United Launch Alliance is no longer offering the Atlas V after a final series of contracts that include an April order for nine Atlas V launches by Amazon to launch part of Project Kuiper.
Vulcan is slated to replace ULA’s Atlas V rocket because the Department of Defense cannot continue to buy RD-180 engines beyond 2022.
One of ULA’s originally assigned Vulcan NSSL missions was switched to Atlas V because Vulcan would not be certified in time to launch in 2022.
United Launch Alliance plans to get Vulcan certified by 2023 to enable launch of the remaining assigned NSSL missions.
United Launch Alliance won 60 percent of the NSSL Phase 2 missions and was assigned four missions to be launched on Vulcan in 2022 and 2023.
United Launch Alliance built Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral to be used interchangeably for Atlas V and Vulcan launches without major reconfigurations.
The government contractor that supplies nitrogen for United Launch Alliance's launch facilities at Vandenberg Space Force Base is working on addressing the liquid oxygen shortage in Florida.
The Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle is developed by United Launch Alliance and is powered by Blue Origin’s BE-4 engines.
United Launch Alliance inked a deal with Blue Origin in 2014 to jointly fund the development of a liquid rocket engine.
United Launch Alliance won approximately 60 percent and SpaceX won approximately 40 percent of the estimated 34 missions projected to be flown between 2022 and 2027 under Phase 2.
United Launch Alliance’s plan is to complete Vulcan’s first two commercial launches in 2022 so the vehicle can be certified to fly its first national security mission in 2023.
The U.S. Air Force selected United Launch Alliance as one of its NSSL Phase 2 providers in August 2020.
United Launch Alliance designated Vulcan as its next-generation rocket in 2015 and awarded Blue Origin a contract to supply BE-4 engines in 2018.
United Launch Alliance is working with Aerojet Rocketdyne on a modification to the RL10 upper-stage engine that includes a new 33-inch nozzle extension.
Northrop Grumman lost to United Launch Alliance and SpaceX in Phase 2 of the National Security Space Launch program in 2020.
Astrobotic’s first Peregrine lander will launch on the inaugural United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur mission in 2022.
The Space and Missile Systems Center Launch Enterprise initially awarded the OSP-4 contract in October 2019 to Aevum, Firefly Black, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, Rocket Lab USA, Space Exploration Technologies Corp., United Launch Alliance, VOX Space, and X-Bow Launch Systems.
The OSP-4 contract vehicle was created in October 2019 and initially selected eight companies: Aevum, Firefly, Northrop Grumman, Rocket Lab, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, VOX Space, and X-Bow Launch.
United Launch Alliance signed an agreement with Blue Origin in 2014 to jointly fund development of the BE-4 engine.