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Rocket file · LV-201

Vulcan VC2S

United Launch Alliance · Vulcan · IN SERVICE

Vulcan VC2S is an expendable launch vehicle built by United Launch Alliance. It stands 61.6 m tall, lifts 19,000 kg to low Earth orbit, first flew on 8 January 2024. It has flown 2 times with 2 successes, a success rate of 100.0%. Its next flight is Vulcan VC2S | GPS IIIF SV04 (USSF-88) for United Launch Alliance, no earlier than 2029.

Specification

Vehicle spec sheet

ON FILE
Height61.6 m
Diameter5.4 m
Payload to LEO19,000 kg
Payload to GTO8,400 kg
Maiden flight8 January 2024
ReusableNo, expendable
Launch costNOT ON FILE
StatusIN SERVICE

As listed by Launch Library 2. The cost is Launch Library’s figure, not a quoted price. Figures for rockets outside the sixty most-flown were last read on 2026-11-05.

Flight record

Reliability

ON RECORD
Total flights2
Successful2
Failed0
Success rate100.0%
Landing attempts0
Landing successN/A
Scheduled1
VariantVC2S

About Vulcan VC2S

Vulcan Centaur is a two-stage-to-orbit, heavy-lift launch vehicle under development by United Launch Alliance (ULA) since 2014. It is principally designed to meet launch demands for the U.S. government's National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program for use by the United States Space Force and U.S. intelligence agencies for national security satellite launches. It will replace both of ULA's existing launchers (Atlas V and Delta IV Heavy) in this role, as these launchers are retiring.

Upcoming flights

From NASA's public image library and Wikimedia Commons. Each photo shows the credit its licence asks for and links back to where it came from.

ULA's Vulcan VC2S rocket launch (8192438)
ULA's Vulcan VC2S rocket launch (8192438)U.S. Space Force photo by DeAnna Murano · public domainWikimedia Commons ↗
ULA's Vulcan VC2S rocket launch (8192439)
ULA's Vulcan VC2S rocket launch (8192439)U.S. Space Force photo by DeAnna Murano · public domainWikimedia Commons ↗
ULA's Vulcan VC2S rocket launch (8192440)
ULA's Vulcan VC2S rocket launch (8192440)U.S. Space Force photo by Joshua Conti · public domainWikimedia Commons ↗

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Common questions

How many times has Vulcan VC2S flown?
2 times, with 2 successes and 0 failures. Another 1 flights are scheduled.
What is Vulcan VC2S's success rate?
100.0%. That's 2 successful flights out of 2 attempts.
When is the next Vulcan VC2S launch?
Vulcan VC2S | GPS IIIF SV04 (USSF-88), flown by United Launch Alliance. It's set for no earlier than 2029 from Space Launch Complex 41.
How much can Vulcan VC2S lift to orbit?
Launch Library 2 lists Vulcan VC2S at 19,000 kg to low Earth orbit and 8,400 kg to geostationary transfer orbit.
Is Vulcan VC2S reusable?
No. Launch Library 2 lists Vulcan VC2S as expendable, so no stage is recovered to fly again.