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.
SES ordered launches from SpaceX and United Launch Alliance to support its C-band satellite deployments.
United Launch Alliance is developing the Vulcan Centaur, a two-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle with a main stage powered by Blue Origin’s BE-4 engine.
The Department of the Air Force selected United Launch Alliance and SpaceX to launch national security satellites for U.S. military and intelligence agencies for five years starting in 2022.
The U.S. Air Force announced on 2020-08-07 that SpaceX and United Launch Alliance would split the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 contracts for launches between 2022 and 2027.
United Launch Alliance received a $337,000,000 contract for two Phase 2 missions planned for fiscal 2022.
In Phase 2 United Launch Alliance will receive 60 percent of the missions and SpaceX will receive 40 percent.
Since 2018, launches from Vandenberg’s north and south ranges have included 2 United Launch Alliance Delta IV launches.
United Launch Alliance will launch two satellites built by Boeing on a single Atlas V in 2022 for SES.
SES selected SpaceX and United Launch Alliance to each launch two geostationary satellites to replace C-band capacity in the United States being repurposed for 0.005 kg cellular networks.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 7:50 a.m. Eastern.
Blue Origin is competing with SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and Northrop Grumman for two long-term launch contracts the U.S. Defense Department is expected to award 2020.
United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V will roll out to the pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on 2020-07-28.
The GEM 63 rocket motors were developed under a cooperative agreement between Northrop Grumman and United Launch Alliance.
Northrop Grumman delivered three custom-designed solid rocket motors on 2020-07-21 to fly later 2020 on United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V vehicle.
United Launch Alliance plans to fly GEM 63 motors on future Atlas V missions while Northrop Grumman completes development of the larger GEM 63XL for Vulcan Centaur.
COTS enabled SpaceX to develop the Falcon 9, which allowed SpaceX to attract business beyond commercial cargo including some military space business previously held by ULA.
SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin, and Northrop Grumman were competitors for the U.S. Space Force’s National Security Space Launch Phase 2 competition with two winners to be selected in summer 2020.
On 2020-07-01, a BE-4 engine arrived at United Launch Alliance’s rocket factory in Decatur, Alabama.
Blue Origin developed the BE-4 engine with some financial support from United Launch Alliance.
United Launch Alliance set a 2021 target to fly its first Vulcan Centaur mission and needs two production-quality engines to build the launch vehicle for that mission.