Space Force pauses national security launches on Vulcan
Breaking Defense • • general
Key Points:
- The Space Force has paused further national security launches on United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan rocket due to an unresolved anomaly with one of its solid-rocket boosters observed during a recent USSF-87 mission.
- The USSF-87 mission, launched on February 12, included two GSSAP satellites and a prototype highly maneuverable satellite aimed at enhancing precise offensive and defensive orbital capabilities.
- The anomaly, which had appeared on a previous Vulcan launch, is under investigation in collaboration with ULA and Northrop Grumman, with no timeline yet for resolution; the Space Force emphasized a many-months process to identify and implement corrective actions.
- Despite the pause, ULA remains a key provider for the National Security Space Launch
