Space is getting crowded. Honestly, if you look at the Cape right now, it feels less like a quiet government facility and more like a busy international airport. At the center of that chaos is United Launch Alliance (ULA). After years of living in the shadow of the retirement of the Delta IV Heavy and the slow phase-out of the legendary Atlas V, the company is finally hitting its stride with Vulcan Centaur.
But keeping track of the United Launch Alliance launch schedule is kinda like trying to track a moving target during a solar flare. Things shift. Dates slip.
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We’re looking at a 2026 manifest that is, in the words of ULA CEO Tory Bruno, "pretty crowded." The company is aiming for a cadence of about 20 to 25 launches a year starting now. That’s a massive jump from the handful of missions we saw during the Vulcan development years.
The Vulcan Takeover: 2026 is the Year of the New Rocket
The big news for anyone following the United Launch Alliance launch schedule is the sheer volume of Vulcan flights on the books. Vulcan isn't just a "new" rocket anymore; it’s the workhorse.
The first major milestone of 2026 is the USSF-87 mission. It’s currently slated for February 2, 2026. This isn't just another satellite launch; it's the second dedicated National Security Space Launch (NSSL) for Vulcan. It’ll be hauling two GSSAP satellites (numbers 7 and 8) into geosynchronous orbit to keep an eye on what other countries are doing in space.
What’s cool about this specific flight is that ULA is using their new Offsite Vertical Integration (OVI) process. Basically, they pre-assemble the interstage and the Centaur V upper stage before they even get to the pad. It sounds like a small logistical tweak, but it’s actually the key to hitting that "twice-a-month" launch rhythm they keep talking about.
Major Vulcan Missions to Watch
- WGS-11+: This is a big one for military comms. It’s a dedicated Boeing-built satellite that’s basically a massive Wi-Fi router in the sky for the Pentagon. It's looking like a late Q1 or early Q2 2026 liftoff.
- USSF-57: Slated for May 2026, this mission carries the first Next-Gen OPIR satellite. It’s a missile-warning bird designed to spot heat signatures from launches across the globe.
- Amazon Project Kuiper (Amazon Leo): ULA has a massive contract for 38 Vulcan launches for Amazon’s internet constellation. The first dedicated Vulcan flight for Kuiper (LV-01) is penciled in for March 2026. They’ve got to get these up fast because the FCC has strict deadlines for how many satellites must be active by mid-2026.
The Final Bow of the Atlas V
It’s a bit sad, but the Atlas V is definitely in its sunset years. You can’t even buy one anymore—Amazon and the U.S. government snapped up the remaining inventory years ago.
The most "human" part of the United Launch Alliance launch schedule still belongs to Atlas, though. I’m talking about Starliner. After the drama with the Crew Flight Test, NASA and Boeing have pivoted. The Starliner-1 mission is now an uncrewed cargo flight to the ISS, currently targeted for no earlier than April 2026.
It’s a weird vibe. Atlas V is arguably one of the most reliable rockets ever built, but it’s essentially a "dead man walking" in terms of production. Every time one leaves the pad in 2026, we’re one step closer to the end of an era. There are still a handful of Amazon Kuiper missions (the LA-05 through LA-08 series) that will use Atlas V throughout 2026 before the transition to Vulcan is 100% complete.
Why Does the Schedule Keep Changing?
If you’ve ever refreshed a launch calendar and seen a "TBD" where a date used to be, you know the frustration. ULA has dealt with its fair share of headaches.
Last year, the Vulcan cadence was supposed to be much higher, but a manufacturing defect in a solid rocket booster (SRB) nozzle during the second certification flight caused a bit of a pause. They’ve fixed it—the nozzle basically fell off, which is... not ideal—but those months of investigation created a massive backlog.
Now, they are building a second Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) and a new Mobile Launch Platform at Cape Canaveral. You sort of have to build the "airport" at the same time you're flying the "planes." If they don't get the infrastructure finished, the rockets will just sit in the factory with nowhere to go.
Vandenberg is Joining the Party
For a long time, Vulcan was a Florida story. That’s changing in 2026. ULA has been gutting and rebuilding Space Launch Complex 3 (SLC-3E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
- The first Vulcan launch from the West Coast is expected in mid-2026.
- It will likely be a Space Development Agency (SDA) mission, specifically Tranche 1 Tracking Layer B.
- These missions go into polar orbits, which is why they have to launch from California rather than Florida—you can't drop rocket stages on the Carolinas.
Actionable Insights for Space Fans and Investors
If you're trying to keep up with the United Launch Alliance launch schedule, don't just look at the dates. Look at the "Net" (No Earlier Than) designations. A February 2nd date is a goal, not a promise.
For the best experience watching these:
- Follow Tory Bruno on X (formerly Twitter): He is surprisingly transparent and often posts photos of the rockets (the "birds") being stacked.
- Check the USSF Launch Windows: Military launches usually have "instantaneous" windows. If they miss the second, they scrub for the day.
- Watch for the Centaur V: The upper stage of Vulcan is much larger than the old Centaur. It allows for much more complex orbital maneuvers, which is why the Space Force is so obsessed with it.
Keep an eye on the late 2026 window for the Dream Chaser spaceplane. It’s supposed to launch on a Vulcan (the VC4L configuration), and seeing a mini-shuttle return to the Cape will be the highlight of the year.
Stay updated by checking the official ULA mission board at least once a month. As production at the Decatur, Alabama factory ramps up to full speed, these dates will either solidify or shift into a massive year-end "launch-a-palooza."