United Launch Alliance (ULA) is targeting the first quarter of 2027 for the inaugural launch of its Vulcan rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
ULA Chief Executive Officer Mark Peller confirmed the schedule in a November 5, 2026, interview with Aviation Week.
The planned launch will introduce Vulcan operations from Space Launch Complex 3 (SLC-3), which ULA has been modifying to accommodate the rocket’s methane-fueled first stage and hydrogen-fueled Centaur V upper stage.
The milestone will establish a second geographic launch location for Vulcan, complementing the company’s existing operations at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Converting Space Launch Complex 3 for Vulcan
SLC-3 previously supported ULA’s Atlas V rocket, which launched national security and other government spacecraft from Vandenberg.
The transition to Vulcan requires substantial changes to the launch pad because the two vehicles use different propulsion systems, dimensions, and ground support arrangements.
Atlas V uses a first stage powered by an RD-180 engine burning kerosene and liquid oxygen.
Vulcan uses two BE-4 engines burning liquefied natural gas and liquid oxygen.
Vulcan’s Centaur V upper stage also differs from the Centaur upper stage previously flown on Atlas V.
ULA’s West Coast construction update identifies modifications to propellant storage, fuel delivery, launch platforms, service structures, and environmental control equipment.
The conversion includes a new fixed launch platform and upgrades to the mobile service tower and umbilical tower.
The mobile service tower protects and provides access to the rocket during launch preparation. The umbilical tower supplies propellants, electrical connections, and other ground services.
These modifications allow SLC-3 to support the different fueling and processing requirements of Vulcan.
New Propellant Storage and Delivery Systems
One of the principal infrastructure changes involves the installation of liquefied natural gas storage equipment.
Liquefied natural gas is stored at low temperatures and delivered to Vulcan’s first-stage propulsion system during fueling.
The pad also requires liquid oxygen storage and transfer equipment for the first-stage engines and the Centaur V upper stage.
Centaur V uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
ULA has installed a new 70,000-gallon liquid hydrogen tank at SLC-3, supplementing an existing 30,000-gallon tank.
The combined storage capacity is approximately 100,000 gallons.
This increases the pad’s hydrogen storage capacity to support Centaur V fueling operations.
ULA has also installed additional tanks supporting liquefied natural gas thermal management and controlled propellant handling.
Some of these systems incorporate equipment repurposed from earlier Atlas-related infrastructure.
The modifications are documented in ULA’s Vulcan infrastructure updates.
Launch Tower and Platform Upgrades
The conversion includes structural changes to the equipment that supports Vulcan while it is positioned at the launch pad.
ULA has installed a new fixed launch platform designed for the rocket’s dimensions and propulsion arrangement.
The company has also modified the umbilical tower with additional service arms.
An upper swing arm supports hydrogen venting from the Centaur V stage.
A lower arm provides connections for engine conditioning, hazardous gas management, liquid hydrogen, and liquid oxygen.
These connections allow ground personnel to prepare the upper-stage propulsion system before liftoff.
The mobile service tower and environmental control equipment are being adapted to accommodate Vulcan and its payload configurations.
Environmental control systems maintain appropriate temperature, humidity, and cleanliness conditions for spacecraft and rocket components during processing.
In a June 2026 construction update, ULA reported that modifications at SLC-3 were more than 83% complete.
The first-quarter 2027 launch target follows the company’s ongoing work to bring the converted launch complex into service.
Why Vandenberg Supports Different Missions
Vandenberg’s location on the California coast provides access to launch trajectories over the Pacific Ocean.
This makes the base particularly suitable for polar and high-inclination orbital missions.
A polar orbit carries a spacecraft over or near Earth’s poles, allowing it to observe different parts of the planet as Earth rotates beneath its orbital path.
Sun-synchronous orbits are a specialized type of near-polar orbit in which a satellite passes over a particular location at approximately the same local solar time on successive visits.
These orbits are widely used for Earth observation, environmental monitoring, reconnaissance, and military surveillance.
Vandenberg allows launch vehicles to reach these trajectories without flying over heavily populated regions along the initial flight path.
Cape Canaveral, by comparison, provides launch trajectories suited to many lower-inclination and eastward missions over the Atlantic Ocean.
Operating Vulcan from both coasts allows ULA to support a broader set of orbital destinations.
National Security Launch Operations
ULA developed the Vandenberg Vulcan infrastructure primarily to support United States national security space missions.
The U.S. Space Force certified Vulcan for National Security Space Launch missions in March 2025.
The certification followed the rocket’s first two flights and established its eligibility to carry designated national security payloads.
ULA’s original planning for SLC-3 anticipated approximately five to six Vulcan launches annually from Vandenberg, based on projected national security demand.
The first West Coast Vulcan mission has been associated with the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 1 Tracking Layer B satellite deployment.
The Space Development Agency is developing a constellation of satellites to provide missile warning, missile tracking, and communications capabilities for U.S. military operations.
The deployment program includes spacecraft intended for low Earth orbit, including high-inclination orbital destinations accessible from Vandenberg.
ULA’s first-quarter 2027 target establishes the planned activation period for Vulcan launch services from the California facility.
Vulcan’s Return to Flight in Florida
The Vandenberg schedule was announced as ULA prepared to resume Vulcan launches from Cape Canaveral.
The company is targeting November 13, 2026, for the Vulcan Leo 1 mission carrying 40 Amazon Leo satellites.
That mission will use the VC6L configuration with six solid rocket boosters.
It follows the February 12, 2026, USSF-87 mission, during which one of Vulcan’s four solid rocket boosters experienced a nozzle performance anomaly.
ULA and Northrop Grumman subsequently developed nozzle modifications and conducted testing and analysis.
Peller told Aviation Week that Vulcan’s national security missions remained on hold pending evaluation of the upcoming commercial flight and the continuing booster investigation.
ULA has also introduced modifications to the BE-4 main engines following a separate propulsion-system accident involving Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket.
The company plans to use the November commercial mission to gather operational data from the modified hardware.
Expanding Vulcan Launch Operations
ULA is preparing to increase its Vulcan launch frequency using facilities on both U.S. coasts.
At Cape Canaveral, the company has introduced a second launch-processing capability intended to support commercial missions, including Amazon Leo deployments.
The additional facility allows rockets and payloads for successive missions to undergo preparation in parallel.
Peller reported that ULA had approximately 15 rockets in inventory and a backlog exceeding 70 missions.
The company is targeting an eventual Vulcan launch rate of approximately two missions per month.
The first Vandenberg launch in early 2027 will introduce a separate West Coast operating location, with SLC-3 configured to support Vulcan’s propulsion systems and the orbital requirements of national security spacecraft.
