NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Vulcan Centaur

Vulcan Centaur is a two-stage-to-orbit, heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by the United Launch Alliance (ULA). It is principally designed to meet the critical launch demands of the US government's National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program for use by the United States Space Force and US intelligence agencies for national security satellite launches.

Vulcan is ULA's first launch vehicle design; it adapts and evolves technologies that were developed for the Atlas V and Delta IV rockets of the USAF's EELV program. The first-stage propellant tanks have the diameter of the Delta IV Common Booster Core but contain liquid methane and oxygen propellant rather than the Delta IV's liquid hydrogen and oxygen.

The versions of the Vulcan rocket range from 0 to 6 side boosters on the first stage and standard or long fairing configuration, according to customer needs. You may see a configuration "Vulcan Centaur" listed below, this is a placeholder configuration we use for unknown missions.

Missions: 2
Successes: 2
Partial Failures: 0
Failures: 0
Success Streak: 2
Success Rate: 100%
Wiki

Configurations

Vulcan Centaur
ULA
Status: Active
Stages: 2
Fairing Diameter: 5.4 m
Vulcan VC0L
ULA
Status: Planned
Liftoff Thrust: 4,900 kN
Payload to LEO: 10,800 kg
Payload to GTO: 3,500 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 63.3 m
Fairing Diameter: 5.4 m
Fairing Height: 21.3 m
Vulcan VC0S
ULA
Status: Planned
Liftoff Thrust: 4,900 kN
Payload to LEO: 10,800 kg
Payload to GTO: 3,500 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 61.6 m
Fairing Diameter: 5.4 m
Fairing Height: 15.5 m
Vulcan VC2L
Image Credit: ULA
ULA
Status: Active
Liftoff Thrust: 8,952 kN
Payload to LEO: 19,000 kg
Payload to GTO: 8,400 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 2
Rocket Height: 63.3 m
Fairing Diameter: 5.4 m
Fairing Height: 21.3 m
Vulcan VC2S
Image Credit: ULA
ULA
Status: Active
Liftoff Thrust: 8,952 kN
Payload to LEO: 19,000 kg
Payload to GTO: 8,400 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 2
Rocket Height: 61.6 m
Fairing Diameter: 5.4 m
Fairing Height: 15.5 m
Vulcan VC4L
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: 63.3 m
Fairing Diameter: 5.4 m
Fairing Height: 21.3 m
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
Vulcan VC6L
ULA
Status: Planned
Liftoff Thrust: 17,056 kN
Payload to LEO: 27,200 kg
Payload to GTO: 14,500 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 6
Rocket Height: 63.3 m
Fairing Diameter: 5.4 m
Fairing Height: 21.3 m
Vulcan VC6S
ULA
Status: Planned
Liftoff Thrust: 17,056 kN
Payload to LEO: 27,200 kg
Payload to GTO: 14,500 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 6
Rocket Height: 61.6 m
Fairing Diameter: 5.4 m
Fairing Height: 15.5 m

Launch Sites

SLC-3E, Vandenberg SFB, California, USA
SLC-41, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Launches

ULA
Vulcan VC2S | Certification Flight 2
Fri Oct 04, 2024 11:25 UTC
SLC-41, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA
ULA
Vulcan VC2S | Peregrine Mission One
Mon Jan 08, 2024 07:18 UTC
SLC-41, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA