Vulcan Centaur roars into service with first national security launch and navigation satellite milestone
August 13, 2025
Under the deep Florida night sky on August 12th, United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket blazed into orbit on its first-ever national security mission, a moment that may well redefine America’s defence capabilities in space.
At precisely 8:56 p.m. EDT, the Vulcan lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, thundering skyward with nearly 3 million pounds of thrust, carrying with it a classified payload and the revolutionary Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3).
This third Vulcan flight, its first operational and its most powerful yet, not only demonstrated the full capability of the rocket but also marked the end of an era: no more Russian engines, no more geopolitical compromises.
From now on, America’s most sensitive defence satellites will ride on an all-American launcher built for resilience, reach, and response.
As the fiery exhaust lit up the coast and cameras captured Vulcan’s majestic arc over the Atlantic, it was clear this wasn’t just another satellite launch. This was USSF-106, a mission so vital it shaped the rocket’s design from the start.
“This is literally the mission that drove the design of Vulcan,” says ULA CEO Tory Bruno.
The rocket, standing 202 feet tall and weighing 1.7 million pounds when fuelled, lifted off with two Blue Origin BE-4methane-fuelled engines and four strap-on GEM 63XL solid rocket boosters.
Five minutes into the flight, the first stage separated, and the Centaur V upper stage took over, carrying the payload on a seven-hour journey more than 22,000 miles into geosynchronous orbit. It was ULA’s longest mission yet.
At that altitude, satellites orbit in lockstep with Earth’s rotation, an ideal position for surveillance, communications, and timing systems. But beyond the technical feat, the cargo on board signalled a seismic shift in military space capability.
Launch of NTS-3: A gamechanger for navigation
The centrepiece of the launch, Navigation Technology Satellite – 3 (NTS-3), is a once-in-a-generation navigation satellite and a technological testbed designed to futureproof America’s position, navigation, and timing (PNT) infrastructure against 21st-century threats.
It’s the first experimental navigation satellite launched by the US Department of Defense in 48 years and a direct successor to the GPS precursors of the 1970s.
Built by L3Harris Technologies in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), NTS-3 is no ordinary satellite.
It comes equipped with a reprogrammable software architecture, a phased array antenna that can direct powerful signals precisely to ground receivers, and advanced atomic clocks-all intended to resist jamming, spoofing, and signal degradation.
“This is a truly game-changing capability,” said Andrew Builta, L3Harris programme lead.
And the military isn’t the only beneficiary. The same technology that ensures precision for warfighters in hostile environments also supports civilian needs like air traffic control, banking, farming, and emergency response.
Beyond the impressive engineering, this launch carries significant geopolitical weight. For years, ULA’s Atlas V rocket, a workhorse of both NASA and Pentagon missions, relied on Russian RD-180 engines. That dependence came under sharp criticism, especially as US-Russia tensions escalated over the past decade.
Congress eventually mandated a shift away from foreign propulsion, and Vulcan was the answer: an entirely domestic rocket, combining next-gen technology with mission flexibility. The retirement of the Delta IV and Atlas V families leaves Vulcan as ULA’s flagship, engineered for everything from interplanetary probes to critical military missions.
The BE-4 engines powering Vulcan’s first stage, developed by Blue Origin, alongside the Centaur V upper stage with Aerojet Rocketdyne’s RL10C engines, now form the foundation of a launch system free from foreign supply chains.
The beginning of the Vulcan rollout
Tuesday’s launch wasn’t just about this single mission. It marked the beginning of an aggressive rollout for Vulcan. ULA plans nine flights in 2025, gradually ramping up to two per month by year’s end. Between 20 and 25 launches are projected for 2026.
Thirteen remaining Atlas V rockets will be used for civilian payloads, after which Vulcan will become ULA’s sole launcher. With over two dozen national security missions already assigned under the Space Force’s Phase 2 and 3 launch contracts, Vulcan’s future is booked solid.
From Vandenberg in California to Cape Canaveral in Florida, Vulcan will carry satellites to every imaginable orbit, supporting reconnaissance, communications, missile warning, and navigation across the globe.
The timing of Vulcan’s debut as a national security vehicle is no accident. In an increasingly contested space domain, where jamming, spoofing, and anti-satellite weapons threaten global infrastructure, the US is investing heavily in technological dissimilarity and launch resilience.
“This underscores the importance of diversified and resilient launch capabilities for America’s future in space,” said NSS CEO Karlton Johnson.
“The deployment of NTS-3 represents a pivotal step toward enhancing navigation systems that can withstand emerging threats.”
Indeed, the NTS-3 satellite, designed to be updated in-orbit, like downloading a new app, is a cornerstone of a broader strategy to make military systems adaptive, agile, and hardened against interference.
As Brig. Gen. Jason Bartolomei of the AFRL puts it, “We have a strategic imperative to deliver science and technology that enables and accelerates a resilient hybrid space architecture.”
Purpose-built infrastructure for Vulcan Centaur rocket
While Vulcan dazzles on the launch pad, it’s backed by a purpose-built infrastructure. From clean-room assembly at the Vertical Integration Facility to the final rollout on the Vulcan Launch Platform, Space Launch Complex-41 has been revamped to meet the needs of modern launch cadence and complexity.
The Vulcan Centaur can fly with zero to six solid boosters and various payload fairings, offering unmatched versatility. Tuesday’s flight used a 15.5-metre-long composite fairing and featured one of the longest mission durations in ULA’s history, proving Vulcan’s endurance and precision.
ULA’s rocket architecture now offers unmatched performance for direct-inject missions such as USSF-106 that place payloads exactly where they need to be, without the need for orbit-raising.
The successful ascent of the USSF-106 mission wasn’t just a flight; it was a declaration. Vulcan’s flawless performance, the delivery of classified defence assets, and the debut of NTS-3 combine to send a clear message: American launch capability has entered a new era.
With adversaries advancing in space and threats to satellite infrastructure growing more sophisticated, the US cannot afford to fall behind. Vulcan Centaur, born from criticism, forged in innovation, now stands ready to protect the high ground.
