Vulcan VC6L

Active

United Launch Alliance (ULA)

None

Description

Vulcan Centaur is a two-stage-to-orbit, heavy-lift launch vehicle under development by United Launch Alliance (ULA) since 2014. It is principally designed to meet launch demands for the U.S. government's National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program for use by the United States Space Force and U.S. intelligence agencies for national security satellite launches. It will replace both of ULA's existing launchers (Atlas V and Delta IV Heavy) in this role, as these launchers are retiring.

Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    67.4 m
  • Diameter
    5.4 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.4 m
  • Launch Mass
    877 T
  • Thrust
    18110 kN
Family
  • Name
    Vulcan VC6L
  • Family
  • Variant
    VC6L
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Vulcan VC6L
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    27200 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    14500 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
    6500 kg
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    23900 kg

United Launch Alliance

Commercial
CEO: Tory Bruno
ULA 2006

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. ULA was formed in December 2006 by combining the teams at these companies which provide spacecraft launch services to the government of the United States. ULA launches from both coasts of the US. They launch their Atlas V vehicle from LC-41 in Cape Canaveral and LC-3E at Vandeberg. Their Delta IV launches from LC-37 at Cape Canaveral and LC-6 at Vandenberg.

Upcoming Spaceflights


Vulcan VC6L | Project Kuiper (Vulcan #1)

United Launch Alliance | United States of America
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
TBD March, 2025
Status: To Be Determined
Mission:

Project Kuiper is a mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit that will offer broadband internet access, this constellation will be managed by Kuiper Systems LLC, a subsidiary of Amazon. This constellation is planned to be composed of 3,276 satellites. The satellites are projected to be placed in 98 orbital planes in three orbital layers, one at 590 km, 610 km and 630 km altitude. 45 satellites will be carried on each Vulcan launch.

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Falcon 9
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7 hours, 6 minutes ago
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A batch of 20 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


H3-22
Success
2 days, 12 hours ago
Advanced Land Observing Satellite-4 (ALOS-4)
Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2 - Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

The Advanced Land Observing Satellite-4 (ALOS-4) is a Japanese satellite designed to observe the Earth's surface using a phased array type L-band syn…


Long March 7A
Success
4 days, 4 hours ago
ChinaSat 3A
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

Chinese communication geostationary satellite for unknown purposes.


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 12 hours ago
NROL-186
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Second batch of satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Office t…


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 4 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-3
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.