ULA Sets Ambitious 2026 Launch Goal of 18-22 Missions

United Launch Alliance (ULA) leadership announced a goal to conduct between 18 and 22 launches in 2026. This announcement was made during a virtual media roundtable on February 10, prior to the company's first Vulcan rocket launch of the year.

2026 Launch Targets and Program Breakdown

Gary Wentz, ULA’s vice president of Atlas and Vulcan Programs, detailed the ambitious plan. The 2026 goal includes two to four Atlas 5 missions and 16 to 18 Vulcan missions. These launches are planned from both pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and pad 3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Wentz indicated that ULA is collaborating with customers, including Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), to prioritize missions and determine whether they will utilize Atlas or Vulcan rockets.

This assignment process is expected to finalize within the next six to eight months for each mission.

Strong Backlog and Customer Commitments

Interim CEO John Elbon highlighted the strong demand for ULA's services. Elbon noted strong commitments from commercial and government customers, referencing a backlog of over 80 missions. He emphasized the company's focus on meeting customer needs and achieving a sustainable increase in launch rates.

A significant portion of this mission backlog involves 47 launches for Amazon's broadband internet satellites, Amazon Kuiper. ULA has 38 Vulcan launches and four Atlas 5 flights remaining for this project. Additionally, ULA has numerous missions for the U.S. Space Force and the NRO under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 and Phase 3 contracts.

Current Year NSSL Lineup (Partial)

Wentz outlined a partial NSSL lineup for the current year:

• SLC-41: USSF-87 GPS III-8 (Space Vehicle 10) and USSF-57 NROL-64.
• SLC-3: Space Development Agency’s Tranche 1 Tracking Layer (T1TR)-B, an unspecified NRO mission, and an unspecified mission in late Fall.

Starliner Missions

Regarding the Boeing Starliner-1 cargo mission to the International Space Station, Wentz confirmed that a manifest slot is reserved for April. If approved for crewed flight, a slot is available in the October/November timeframe.

Overcoming Past Delays and Boosting Capacity

In previous years, ULA aimed for double-digit launch numbers but executed five launches in 2024 and six in 2025. Elbon attributed these constraints to anomalies, such as a solid rocket booster anomaly during Vulcan's second certification flight in Fall 2024. This incident contributed to a delay in Vulcan's national security payload certification until March 2025.

Elbon stated that these issues are now resolved, and the Vulcan rocket is prepared for flight. He highlighted significant infrastructure advancements to support increased launch rates:

Infrastructure Advancements

• "Track A" facility: A new Vertical Integration Facility (VIF-A) and Vulcan launch platform (VLP-A) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) are now online, designed to double the launch rate.
• Vandenberg SLC-3: This launch complex is expected to become operational later this year.

ULA possesses the necessary rockets and payloads to achieve its planned launch rate throughout the year. The VIF-G facility is designated for government missions, including NSSL contracts and Atlas 5 Starliner missions, while VIF-A is dedicated to Vulcan launches, particularly those for Amazon.

Interim Leadership at the Helm

The media roundtable marked the first virtual gathering since the departure of former ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno. John Elbon, who had initially planned to retire in April, is serving as interim CEO during the search for a permanent successor.

Elbon acknowledged Bruno's 12 years of service, including leading a company transformation and Vulcan's development. Elbon emphasized the strength of ULA's engineering, production, and launch expertise residing in its 3,000 employees.