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ULA's Ambitious Launch Plans Fall Short in 2025
27 Nov
Summary
- ULA's 2025 launch forecast significantly reduced from 20 to six missions.
- Vulcan rocket's ramp-up delayed by technical issues and infrastructure readiness.
- Amazon and Space Force await critical satellite deployments on Vulcan.
United Launch Alliance (ULA) has significantly revised its 2025 launch schedule, now expecting only six missions, a sharp decrease from the initial projection of 20. The company's highly anticipated Vulcan rocket has experienced a slow ramp-up, contributing to this revised forecast. Only one Vulcan flight has occurred this year, with its next missions, including critical deployments for the U.S. Space Force and Amazon's Project Kuiper, now scheduled for 2026.
Concerns regarding Vulcan's delayed entry into service have been raised at the Pentagon, with military satellite capability reportedly waiting on the ground. Issues with solid rocket booster performance on a previous test flight and delays in preparing new launch infrastructure at Cape Canaveral have contributed to the slower-than-expected operational tempo for the Vulcan rocket.
Despite these setbacks, ULA has hardware for multiple Vulcan rockets ready. The company aims to eventually increase its launch cadence significantly to manage its backlog from major customers like Amazon and the Space Force, which together account for about 90% of its mission bookings.
