United Launch Alliance (ULA) has scheduled its Vulcan rocket to return to flight on November 13, 2026, following a nine-month interruption caused by a solid rocket booster anomaly during a U.S. Space Force mission in February.
The return-to-flight mission, designated LV-01 or Leo Vulcan 1, will carry 40 Amazon Leo broadband satellites into low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
ULA confirmed the target date on October 28, with the launch pending approval from the Eastern Range. Amazon also confirmed the schedule in its official launch program update.
The mission will introduce Vulcan’s six-booster VC6L configuration, improved solid rocket booster nozzles, an extended payload fairing, and a modified Centaur V upper stage optimized for low-Earth-orbit missions.
The February Anomaly That Interrupted Vulcan Launches
Vulcan’s most recent flight occurred on February 12, 2026, during the USSF-87 national security mission.
The rocket carried spacecraft for the U.S. Space Force, including satellites associated with the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program.
During the early portion of ascent, one of Vulcan’s four solid rocket boosters experienced a significant performance anomaly involving its nozzle.
The nozzle is the component that directs high-temperature exhaust gases from the rocket motor to generate thrust. Its geometry and structural integrity influence the amount and direction of thrust produced.
The anomaly occurred less than 30 seconds after liftoff. Despite the malfunction, Vulcan continued its ascent and delivered its payloads to the intended orbit.
The incident followed a related problem during Vulcan’s second certification flight in October 2024, when a nozzle on one of the rocket’s two solid rocket boosters separated during ascent.
In both flights, the rocket’s main propulsion and guidance systems compensated for the loss of performance from the affected booster.
However, the recurrence of a nozzle problem prompted another investigation and interrupted Vulcan’s launch operations.
According to Spaceflight Now’s October 28 reporting, ULA, Northrop Grumman, and the U.S. Space Force participated in an investigation of the February incident.
Northrop Grumman manufactures the GEM 63XL solid rocket boosters used by Vulcan.
Improved Solid Rocket Booster Nozzles
ULA says the investigation identified potential contributors to the February anomaly and led to changes in nozzle design and manufacturing processes.
The company has not publicly disclosed a complete technical explanation identifying a single definitive cause.
For the November mission, Vulcan will use an improved nozzle configuration incorporating the changes developed during the investigation.
ULA also plans to continue testing and analysis alongside the launch campaign.
The upcoming flight provides operational data from the revised booster hardware under actual launch conditions.
That information is relevant to future commercial missions and to the Space Force’s evaluation of Vulcan for additional national security launches.
The Space Force has indicated that flight results from commercial Vulcan missions will contribute to its assessment of the rocket’s readiness to resume military launch assignments.
Consequently, the November 13 target establishes Vulcan’s planned commercial return to flight, rather than an automatic resumption of national security launch operations.
Vulcan’s First Six-Booster Configuration
The LV-01 mission will use Vulcan’s VC6L configuration, the most powerful version of the rocket currently offered by ULA.
The designation identifies a Vulcan vehicle equipped with six strap-on solid rocket boosters and the long payload fairing.
Previous Vulcan flights used fewer solid rocket boosters.
The November mission will be the first Vulcan launch with six GEM 63XL motors attached to the central booster.
Each solid rocket booster provides approximately 459,600 pounds of thrust, according to ULA’s official Vulcan mission specifications.
The central rocket stage uses two BE-4 engines manufactured by Blue Origin. These engines burn liquefied natural gas, primarily methane, and liquid oxygen.
Each BE-4 produces approximately 550,000 pounds of thrust at sea level.
During liftoff, the six solid rocket boosters and the two BE-4 engines will operate together to accelerate the launch vehicle.
The solid rocket boosters provide additional thrust during the early ascent, when the rocket must lift its fully fueled stages and satellite payload through the lower atmosphere.
This configuration is intended to support the substantial payload requirements of Amazon’s broadband constellation.
A Modified Centaur V Upper Stage
LV-01 will also introduce a shorter version of Vulcan’s Centaur V upper stage.
The stage has been optimized for delivering satellites to low Earth orbit rather than higher-energy destinations.
According to ULA, the modified Centaur V is approximately 35 feet long and 17.7 feet in diameter.
Its propellant tanks are constructed from stainless steel and use pressure stabilization to maintain their structural integrity.
The stage carries liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen and is powered by two RL10C-1-1A engines.
Each engine produces approximately 23,825 pounds of thrust.
After the main booster completes its portion of the flight, Centaur V will continue accelerating the payload toward its designated deployment orbit.
The stage will then release the 40 Amazon Leo satellites in a planned deployment sequence.
The shorter upper stage is a mission-specific adaptation that allows ULA to match the vehicle configuration to the performance requirements of low-Earth-orbit satellite deployments.
Extended Fairing Accommodates the Satellite Payload
The mission will use Vulcan’s 70-foot-long payload fairing.
The fairing is the protective enclosure at the top of the rocket. It shields the satellites from aerodynamic forces, heating, and other environmental conditions during the early portion of launch.
ULA’s fairing has a diameter of approximately 17.7 feet and uses composite construction.
The structure consists of two sections that separate after the rocket reaches an altitude where atmospheric protection is no longer required.
Amazon confirmed that all 40 satellites have been encapsulated inside the fairing.
The company describes LV-01 as its largest single launch payload for Amazon Leo to date.
Amazon Leo’s Launch Campaign
Amazon Leo, previously known as Project Kuiper, is a planned low-Earth-orbit broadband satellite constellation.
The company intends to deploy more than 3,000 satellites to provide internet connectivity.
Amazon reports that nearly 400 satellites have already reached orbit through 14 deployment missions.
Those missions have used launch vehicles operated by ULA, SpaceX, and Arianespace.
LV-01 will be the first of 38 contracted Vulcan launches supporting Amazon’s constellation deployment.
ULA has already conducted eight Amazon Leo deployment missions using Atlas V.
Amazon’s launch preparations now include a dedicated vertical integration facility at Cape Canaveral, designated VIF-A.
The facility supports the assembly and processing of Vulcan rockets assigned to Amazon missions.
The company says preparations for the second Vulcan mission are proceeding in parallel at another integration facility, VIF-G.
This arrangement allows hardware for successive missions to be processed simultaneously rather than waiting for the first launch to be completed.
November 13 Launch Preparations
The LV-01 rocket has undergone assembly and launch-site preparation at Cape Canaveral.
The first stage and low-Earth-orbit-optimized Centaur V were integrated earlier in 2026.
The vehicle subsequently underwent fueling preparations before receiving its solid rocket boosters and satellite payload.
The planned launch date remains subject to Eastern Range approval, and ULA has not announced an exact liftoff time.
The November mission will be Vulcan’s fifth flight since its January 2024 debut.
It will also provide the first flight data from the improved solid rocket booster nozzle design, the first six-booster Vulcan configuration, and the first operational use of the shortened Centaur V stage for Amazon Leo.
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