ULA Vulcan VC4S – USSF‑106

Launch Time: between 7:59 and 8:59 p.m. EDT (2359-0059 UTC)

Rocket: ULA Vulcan Centaur VC4S (four GEM‑63XL solid boosters, dual BE‑4 main engines) 
Orbit: Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO)
Mission Type: National Security Space Launch (NSSL) / U.S. Space Force Technology Demonstration

Mission Overview

This will be ULA’s first National Security Space Launch (NSSL) using the new Vulcan Centaur—marking a milestone in U.S. heavy-lift launch capability  The primary payload is the Navigation Technology Satellite‑3 (NTS‑3), a U.S. Space Force experimental satellite designed to test adaptive digital navigation signals and anti‑spoofing/jamming resilience.

The launch also includes additional classified payloads, deploying directly into geostationary orbit via Vulcan’s robust trajectory capability 

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 Notable Features & Significance

• First U.S. Space Force payload launched on Vulcan

• Demonstrates on-orbit reconfigurable navigation signals via NTS‑3

• Validates Vulcan’s VC4S configuration for future classified and government missions 

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Vehicle Configuration

• First Stage: BE‑4 methane/LOX engines (2× at 2,400 kN thrust each)

• Boosters: Four GEM‑63XL solid rocket boosters for added lift

• Upper Stage: Centaur V second stage for precision orbital insertion

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