# United Launch Alliance

Type: Company

Source: Space & Defense Intelligence Brief — https://getspacebrief.com/entity/united-launch-alliance
Canonical HTML page: https://getspacebrief.com/entity/united-launch-alliance

## Timeline

- **2027-12-01**: Projected Gateway Launch — Target window for first Vulcan-led delivery of Gateway logistics or modules.
- **2026-07-02**: 14th Launch and Atlas V Finale — An Atlas V rocket carries 29 satellites to orbit, bringing the total on orbit to 394 and completing all eight contracted Atlas V missions for Project Kuiper.
- **2026-06**: New Glenn Launchpad Explosion — Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket explodes on the pad, destroying infrastructure and grounding the vehicle, disrupting Amazon's future launch plans.
- **2026-03-07**: Artemis Selection — NASA officially integrates Vulcan Centaur 5 into the Artemis mission architecture.
- **2026**: Initial Internet Service Begins — Amazon targets mid-2026 rollout of initial commercial connectivity, starting near the north and south poles and expanding toward the equator.
- **2025-10-15**: NSSL Certification — Completion of required flights for National Security Space Launch certification.
- **2025-04**: First Project Kuiper Satellites Launched — Amazon commences deployment of its LEO broadband constellation, with the first batch of satellites lifting off from Florida.
- **2024-01-08**: Vulcan Maiden Flight — Successful inaugural launch of the Vulcan Centaur (Cert-1) carrying the Peregrine lunar lander.

## Recent coverage (3 stories)

### Rocket Lab Lands $397M Space Force SB-AMTI Award
2026-08-19 00:21:15 · Sentiment: Strongly positive · Impact: 7/10 · Sources: 2

Rocket Lab's $397 million U.S. Space Force award for stackable Flatellite satellite buses positions the company as a vertically integrated prime for the SB-AMTI missile-tracking constellation. The deal validates years of component acquisitions and Neutron's mass-launch role, intensifying pressure on incumbent defense primes.
Full story: https://getspacebrief.com/story/rocket-lab-397m-space-force-sb-amti-flatellite

### Amazon Leo Hits 394 Satellites; Initial Service Set for 2026
2026-07-03 06:18:45 · Sentiment: Positive · Impact: 7/10 · Sources: 3

Amazon's Project Kuiper reaches 394 satellites in orbit, marking the end of its Atlas V campaign and setting the stage for initial polar coverage later this year. Launch vehicle grounding poses risks to the full 3,200-satellite vision as Starlink's 10,000-satellite lead looms.
Full story: https://getspacebrief.com/story/amazon-leo-394-satellites-initial-service-2026

### NASA Integrates Vulcan Centaur 5 into Artemis Architecture for Lunar Logistics
2026-03-07 17:40:51 · Sentiment: Positive · Impact: 8/10 · Sources: 3

NASA has officially selected United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur 5 to support the Artemis lunar program, marking a critical expansion of the agency's heavy-lift capabilities. This decision reinforces the shift toward a multi-provider commercial model for deep-space logistics and infrastructure.
Full story: https://getspacebrief.com/story/nasa-selects-vulcan-centaur-5-artemis-missions

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This page is a machine-readable summary. Sentiment measures the directional read of each development for this entity, not the tone of the reporting; impact weights consequence, not syndication reach. See https://getspacebrief.com/guides/methodology for the full editorial methodology.