Vulcan Grounding May Trigger Space Force, NRO Launch Delays
The grounding of ULA’s Vulcan rocket after a motor anomaly could force delays or reassignments for multiple Space Force and NRO missions, with near-term impacts on WGS-11+, Next-Gen GEO, and SILENTBARKER. GPS III SV-10 has been shifted to SpaceX Falcon 9 as launch manifests adjust, while Space Systems Command and the NSSL program are evaluating affected timelines. ULA says no Vulcan flights will occur until corrective actions are completed and a GEM 63XL upgrade is planned for the next Vulcan mission; an investigation into the anomaly is underway.
