From Here,
We Can Go
Anywhere.

We are the team that launches the impossible into orbit. For decades, ULA, and our heritage vehicles, have redefined what’s possible beyond Earth, launching with unmatched precision and purpose. We don’t just send rockets into space—we launch humanity’s boldest ambitions. At the edge of innovation, we deliver the missions that shape our world and unlock the future.

The Hardest Missions. The Ultimate Trust.

Complex Orbits

Demonstrating our deep culture of mission assurance, ULA rockets deliver critical payloads to the most complex and exotic orbits. Our engineering expertise enables us to tackle challenges others can’t—from intricate deep-space trajectories to the deployment of critical national security assets.

Complex Orbits
Accuracy

ULA specializes in the most demanding missions, where precision, flexibility and performance are paramount. We deliver your payload directly to LEO, MEO, GEO and beyond.

Commitment​

100+ national security missions successfully launched, safeguarding our nation’s interests with unwavering commitment and purpose.

Exploration

Pioneering deep space exploration: We’ve launched missions to every planet in our solar system, pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery.

 

Interesting intergalactic fact—we’ve launched all 20 U.S. missions to Mars.

Launch Updates

Live Updates

Last Mission: Atlas V Amazon Leo 4

Launch Date: December 16, 2025

Purpose: ULA's Atlas V rocket delivered another batch of satellites into low Earth orbit for Amazon Leo. Its mission is to provide fast, reliable internet to customers around the world, including those in unserved and underserved communities, built around an initial constellation of more than 3,000 LEO satellites.

Watch Launch Live Stream

Live Updates

Follow Updates:

@ulalaunch @AmazonLeo

Meet Vulcan

ULA’s Vulcan next-generation rocket offers a unique combination of modularity, power and precision unmatched by competitors. Its advanced Centaur V upper stage truly sets it apart. Providing unparalleled endurance and restart capability to deliver payloads to complex, high-energy orbits with pinpoint accuracy, Centaur is the performance advantage over other launch systems.

Site Launch over water

Vulcan’s booster is powered by innovative BE-4 engines and has a flexible design that can be configured with up to six solid rocket boosters, making it a single rocket that can efficiently handle the spectrum of missions from medium to heavy lift, a capability no one else offers in a single rocket.

Now with Vulcan, we are redefining what’s possible for Space Force missions, offering unparalleled flexibility and precision to go anywhere and to deliver almost anything.

Vulcan redefines what’s possible, offering unparalleled flexibility with the precision to go anywhere the mission requires.

Delivering with absolute precision: Because when the stakes are highest, there’s no room for error.

Meet Vulcan

ULA’s Vulcan next-generation rocket offers a unique combination of modularity, power and precision unmatched by competitors. Its advanced Centaur V upper stage truly sets it apart. Providing unparalleled endurance and restart capability to deliver payloads to complex, high-energy orbits with pinpoint accuracy, Centaur is the performance advantage over other launch systems.

Site Launch over water

Vulcan’s booster is powered by innovative BE-4 engines and has a flexible design that can be configured with up to six solid rocket boosters, making it a single rocket that can efficiently handle the spectrum of missions from medium to heavy lift, a capability no one else offers in a single rocket.

Vulcan redefines what’s possible, offering unparalleled flexibility with the precision to go anywhere the mission requires.

Now with Vulcan, we are redefining what’s possible for Space Force missions, offering unparalleled flexibility and precision to go anywhere and to deliver almost anything.
Beyond Earth orbit: Vulcan opens new avenues for lunar missions, deep space exploration, and the future of human presence in space.

Delivering with absolute precision: Because when the stakes are highest, there’s no room for error.

A History Of Exploration

Been There. Launched That.

At ULA, we believe in the boundless potential of space for humanity. For nearly two decades, we have been going beyond, relentlessly advancing expectations of what’s truly possible in the cosmos. Every launch is a testament to our unwavering commitment to precision, adaptability, and the audacious spirit of exploration that drives us to deliver the critical missions that shape our world and push the boundaries of human endeavor.

Unmatched Mission Heritage

ULA’s rockets boast a tremendous success record, demonstrating our deep culture of mission assurance, consistently delivering critical payloads with unparalleled accuracy.

Decades of National Security
and Deep Space Expertise

For decades, ULA has been the steadfast rocket launcher for vital U.S. national security. We've launched more than 100 national security missions, safeguarding national interests, and pioneered deep space exploration by sending missions to every planet in our solar system. Our efforts were foundational in deploying the Global Positioning System, essential infrastructure for billions worldwide.

Next-Generation Capabilities
with Vulcan Centaur

Our Vulcan rocket is engineered for the most demanding missions, offering significant payload capacity: up to 60,000 pounds to LEO, 32,000 pounds to GTO, and 14,300 pounds direct to GEO.

Strategic Contracts and Partnerships

ULA has secured landmark contracts affirming our future leadership in space. We're launching 47 missions for Amazon's Project Kuiper, the largest commercial agreement ever awarded in the industry. ULA was awarded a substantial $4.5 billion in the U.S. Space Force National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 competition and $5.4 billion for the Phase 3 competition, ensuring our continued strategic role in national security for years to come.

Strategic Contracts and Partnerships

In fact, we have more than 70 Vulcan missions already on contract and look forward to launching those missions for our commercial, civil and government customers.

Explore ULA Further

A History of Exploration

Been there. Launched That.
At ULA, we believe in the boundless potential of space for humanity. For nearly two decades, we have been going beyond, relentlessly advancing expectations of what’s truly possible in the cosmos. Every launch is a testament to our unwavering commitment to precision, adaptability, and the audacious spirit of exploration that drives us to deliver the critical missions that shape our world and push the boundaries of human endeavor.
Unmatched Mission Heritage
ULA’s rockets boast a tremendous success record, demonstrating our deep culture of mission assurance, consistently delivering critical payloads with unparalleled accuracy.
Decades of National Security and Deep Space Expertise
For decades, ULA has been the steadfast rocket launcher for vital U.S. national security. We've launched more than 100 national security missions, safeguarding national interests, and pioneered deep space exploration by sending missions to every planet in our solar system. Our efforts were foundational in deploying the Global Positioning System, essential infrastructure for billions worldwide.
Next-Generation Capabilities with Vulcan Centaur
Our Vulcan rocket is engineered for the most demanding missions, offering significant payload capacity: up to 60,000 pounds to LEO, 32,000 pounds to GTO, and 14,300 pounds direct to GEO.
Strategic Contracts and Partnerships
ULA has secured landmark contracts affirming our future leadership in space. We're launching 47 missions for Amazon's Project Kuiper, the largest commercial agreement ever awarded in the industry. ULA was awarded a substantial $4.5 billion in the U.S. Space Force National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 competition and $5.4 billion for the Phase 3 competition, ensuring our continued strategic role in national security for years to come.

LAUNCH VEHICLE

Payload Fairing (PLF)

The spacecraft are encapsulated in a 17.7-ft (5.4-m) diameter standard payload fairing. The PLF is a sandwich composite structure made with a vented aluminum-honeycomb core and graphite-epoxy face sheets. The bisector (two-piece shell) PLF encapsulates both the Centaur and the satellites. The vehicle’s height with the 5-meter medium PLF is approximately 196 ft (59.7 m).

Centaur

The Centaur second stage is 10 ft (3 m) in diameter and 41.5 ft (12.6 m) in length. Its propellant tanks are pressure-stabilized and constructed of corrosion-resistant stainless steel. Centaur is a cryogenic vehicle, fueled with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, powered by an RL10C-1-1 engine producing 23,825 lbs (106 kilo-Newtons) of thrust. The cryogenic tanks are insulated with a combination of helium-purged blankets, radiation shields and spray-on foam insulation (SOFI). The Centaur forward adapter (CFA) provides structural mountings for the fault-tolerant avionics system and structural and electrical interfaces with the spacecraft.

Launch Rocket - expanded

Booster

The booster is 12.5 ft (3.8 m) in diameter and 106.5 ft (32.5 m) in length. The booster’s tanks are structurally rigid and constructed of isogrid aluminum barrels, spun-formed aluminum domes and intertank skirts. Booster propulsion is provided by the RD-180 engine system (a single engine with two thrust chambers). The RD-180 burns RP-1 (Rocket Propellant-1 or highly purified kerosene) and liquid oxygen and delivers 860,200 lbs (3.83 mega-Newtons) of thrust at sea level. Five solid rocket boosters (SRBs) generate the additional power required at liftoff, with each providing 371,550 lbs (1.6 mega-Newtons) of thrust. The Centaur avionics system, provides guidance, flight control and vehicle sequencing functions during the booster and Centaur phases of flight.

SPACE LAUNCH COMPLEX-41 // PROCESSING

Space Launch Complex-41, the East Coast home of the Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, employs a “clean pad” concept of operations to ready launch vehicles and payloads for ascent into space. The rocket elements are assembled atop a Mobile Launch Platform inside the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) located adjacent to the launch pad. The platform and fully stacked Atlas V then travel by rail approximately 1,800 feet northward from the VIF to the pad for the final countdown, fueling and liftoff.

 
Launch pad breakdown

1. Advanced Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC) 

  • Launch Control Center
  • Mission Director’s Center
  • Mission Support Teams
  • Launch Vehicle Horizontal Processing
  • Ordnance Installation


2. Delta Operations Center (DOC)

  • Offline Vertical Integration (OVI):
    • Interstage Adapters
    • Centaur
    • Boattail
    • Base Module & Centaur Forward Load Reactor Deck

3. Amazon Payload Processing Facility

4. Vertical Integration Facility (VIF)

  • Launch Vehicle Integration & Testing
  • Spacecraft Mate
  • Integrated Operations
Rocket drawing
Centaur: An Upper Stage for Every Mission
101 National Security Missions
ULA enables NASA's Exploration of the Universe