ULA schedules Vulcan return to flight for November 13 with Amazon Leo mission

Key points

• ULA announced a return-to-flight date of November 13, 2026, for the Vulcan rocket, pending range approval.
• The mission will carry 40 Amazon Leo satellites, the first of 38 booked flights for the constellation.
• This launch will feature the first full complement of six solid rocket boosters and an extended fairing, increasing the rocket’s height to 221 feet.
• ULA claims to have mitigated potential contributors to the nozzle anomaly through design changes, but has not disclosed the specific root cause.
• The U.S. Space Force requires flight data from commercial missions before resuming national security launches on Vulcan.
• Six military missions were swapped to SpaceX Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets during the Vulcan grounding to maintain schedule commitments.

Background

Vulcan was grounded in February 2026 after a solid rocket booster nozzle failure during the USSF-87 mission, following a similar incident in 2024. ULA’s flagship rocket had previously faced scrutiny over its reliance on Blue Origin BE-4 engines, which were linked to a separate New Glenn explosion in May 2026. The company’s financial stability and competitive position have been under strain due to delays and the dominance of SpaceX’s reusable launchers.

How outlets are covering it

Ars Technica and Spaceflight Now emphasize the technical mitigations and the strategic importance of the Amazon Leo mission for validating the improved nozzle design. Spaceflight Now notes that a second Vulcan vehicle is already assembled for the next Amazon mission. Florida Today highlights the broader context of Blue Origin engine issues, linking Vulcan’s first-stage engines to the New Glenn explosion, though it clarifies that the current grounding is due to solid booster issues. All sources agree that the Space Force is withholding national security missions until commercial flight data confirms the reliability of the upgraded hardware.

Why it matters

The successful return of Vulcan is critical for ULA’s viability and for the U.S. Space Force’s dual-launch provider strategy. A failure could further erode confidence in ULA and accelerate the shift toward SpaceX, while success would validate the mitigations and allow ULA to resume its share of national security and commercial contracts. The launch also marks a significant milestone for Amazon’s Leo constellation, which aims to compete with Starlink.

What to watch

The launch is scheduled for November 13, 2026, pending final approval from the Eastern Range. Following this, ULA plans at least two more Amazon Leo missions before potentially resuming national security flights. The Space Force will analyze the flight data to determine if Vulcan is cleared for military payloads, potentially in early 2027.