NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

USSF-106

Launch Time
NET 1st Quarter, 2025

First Vulcan rocket to support a NSSL mission.

Watch

Rocket

Vulcan VC4S
Image Credit: ULA
ULA
Status: Planned
Liftoff Thrust: 13,006 kN
Payload to LEO: 24,600 kg
Payload to GTO: 11,693 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 4
Rocket Height: 61.6 m
Fairing Diameter: 5.4 m
Fairing Height: 15.5 m

Mission Details

NTS-3

NTS-3 (Navigation Technology Satellite 3) is a demonstration navigation satellite. NTS-3 will experiment with a new digital signal generator that can be reprogrammed on-orbit, enabling it to broadcast new signals, improve performance by avoiding and defeating interference, and adding signatures for detecting spoofing attacks.

NTS-3 will be the aft payload on the USSF-106 mission.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 1,250.0 kg
Geosynchronous Orbit

USSF-106

Other payloads on the USSF-106 mission have not been announced – potentially due to the classified nature of the mission.

- NASA's 6 SunRISE minisatellites will be part of the secondary payloads of this mission.

Geosynchronous Orbit

Location

SLC-41, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA