As of November 2025, United Launch Alliance (ULA) has not been sold and remains a joint venture owned by Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The potential acquisition by Sierra Space, which was in talks as of mid-2024, did not materialize, and negotiations appear to have stalled or fallen through with no recent updates indicating progress. ULA continues to operate independently, conducting launches like the recent ViaSat-3 F2 mission on an Atlas V rocket in mid-November 2025, and planning future missions on its Vulcan rocket, including for Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser in Q4 2026.
Recent speculation points to Blue Origin as a potential buyer, especially following the successful first orbital launch and booster landing of its New Glenn rocket on November 13, 2025. This achievement has positioned Blue Origin as a stronger competitor in the launch market, potentially accelerating interest in acquiring ULA to consolidate capabilities – such as integrating Blue’s BE-4 engines, which ULA already uses in Vulcan. Industry observers note that ULA has been on the market for about 18 months, with challenges in finding a suitable buyer due to requirements like ITAR compliance and security clearances. Blue Origin is seen as the “obvious” candidate, particularly as ULA faces competitive pressures from reusable rockets and may struggle for new contracts without a sale or major restructuring. However, no deal has been announced, and ULA is still securing government contracts separately from Blue Origin, such as recent U.S. Space Force awards in October 2025.
