Space Force Halts ULA Vulcan Launches
The U.S. Space Force has halted all missions for United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket. The decision follows an investigation into an issue with the vehicle's solid rocket motors. The pause complicates ULA's launch schedule and highlights supply chain and qualification challenges in the national security launch sector.
The specific trigger for the halt was a "significant performance anomaly" during the USSF-87 mission on February 12, 2026. Approximately 25 seconds after launch, one of the four Northrop Grumman-built GEM 63XL solid rocket boosters experienced an apparent nozzle burn-through, creating an irregular plume and unexpected roll. This is the second such incident in just four Vulcan flights. A nearly identical nozzle failure occurred during the rocket's second certification flight in October 2024; that issue was traced to a defective carbon composite insulator and delayed the vehicle's final national security certification until March 2025. Despite the booster malfunction, the rocket's two BE-4 main engines, built by Blue Origin, successfully compensated for the asymmetrical thrust. This allowed the Vulcan's Centaur V upper stage to deliver its classified payloads for the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) to the correct orbit
