ULA plans to upgrade Vulcan rocket to compete with SpaceX for low Earth orbit satellites

From Investing.com: 2024-12-14 06:05:30

Boeing and Lockheed Martin’s joint venture, United Launch Alliance (ULA), plans to upgrade its Vulcan rocket to compete with SpaceX’s Starship in the low Earth orbit satellite launch market. ULA CEO Tory Bruno stated that the modification will allow for more mass to LEO, putting them in a competitive range.

SpaceX’s Starship is being used for launching Starlink satellites, prompting ULA to develop an LEO-optimized version of Vulcan. The variant is expected to be completed by the time Starship begins LEO satellite launches, which could be several years from now, giving ULA time to refine their rocket.

ULA has several Vulcan missions booked with Amazon to deploy its Kuiper internet satellites, making the rocket a key player in Amazon’s challenge to Starlink. SpaceX has conducted multiple Starship test flights, while ULA plans to fly eight Vulcan missions next year and 12 missions with Atlas V.

The Vulcan rocket’s launch price starts at around $110 million and has roughly 70 missions booked, including those with Amazon. ULA, formed in 2006, has been up for sale, with interest from Sierra Nevada Corp’s Sierra Space and Blue Origin. Acquisition talks have not been confirmed by CEO Tory Bruno.



Read more at Investing.com: To rival SpaceX’s Starship, ULA eyes Vulcan rocket upgrade By Reuters