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Vulcan Centaur
Description
Vulcan Centaur is a two-stage-to-orbit, heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by the United Launch Alliance (ULA). It is principally designed to meet the critical launch demands of the US government's National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program for use by the United States Space Force and US intelligence agencies for national security satellite launches. Vulcan is ULA's first launch vehicle design; it adapts and evolves technologies that were developed for the Atlas V and Delta IV rockets of the USAF's EELV program. The first-stage propellant tanks have the diameter of the Delta IV Common Booster Core but contain liquid methane and oxygen propellant rather than the Delta IV's liquid hydrogen and oxygen. The versions of the Vulcan rocket range from 0 to 6 side boosters on the first stage and standard or long fairing configuration, according to customer needs. You may see a configuration "Vulcan Centaur" listed below, this is a placeholder configuration we use for unknown missions.
Missions
2
Success Rate
100.0%
Successes
2
Failures
0
Success Streak
2
Partial Failures
0
Next Up
USSF-106 (NTS-3 & Others)
Previous
Certification Flight 2
Peregrine Mission One
Configurations
Vulcan VC6S
Rocket
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 61.6m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 27,200 kg
GTO: 14,500 kg
Liftoff Thrust
17,056 Kilonewtons
Fairing
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 15.5m
Stages
2
Strap-ons
6
Vulcan VC6L
Rocket
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 63.3m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 27,200 kg
GTO: 14,500 kg
Liftoff Thrust
17,056 Kilonewtons
Fairing
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 21.3m
Stages
2
Strap-ons
6
Vulcan VC4S
Rocket
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 61.6m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 24,600 kg
GTO: 11,693 kg
Liftoff Thrust
13,006 Kilonewtons
Fairing
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 15.5m
Stages
2
Strap-ons
4
Vulcan VC4L
Rocket
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 63.3m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 24,600 kg
GTO: 11,693 kg
Liftoff Thrust
13,006 Kilonewtons
Fairing
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 21.3m
Stages
2
Strap-ons
4
Vulcan VC2S
Active Since 2024
Rocket
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 61.6m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 19,000 kg
GTO: 8,400 kg
Liftoff Thrust
8,952 Kilonewtons
Fairing
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 15.5m
Stages
2
Strap-ons
2
Vulcan VC2L
Rocket
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 63.3m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 19,000 kg
GTO: 8,400 kg
Liftoff Thrust
8,952 Kilonewtons
Fairing
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 21.3m
Stages
2
Strap-ons
2
Vulcan VC0S
Rocket
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 61.6m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 10,800 kg
GTO: 3,500 kg
Liftoff Thrust
4,900 Kilonewtons
Fairing
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 15.5m
Stages
2
Vulcan VC0L
Rocket
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 63.3m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 10,800 kg
GTO: 3,500 kg
Liftoff Thrust
4,900 Kilonewtons
Fairing
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 21.3m
Stages
2
Vulcan Centaur
Active Since 2025
Rocket
Diameter: 5.4m
Fairing
Diameter: 5.4m
Stages
2