The U.S. Space Force is redirecting GPS navigation satellite launches from United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket to SpaceX's Falcon 9 following ULA's February booster malfunction. The military is evaluating additional launch swaps while exploring payload modifications to enable Vulcan to fly without solid rocket boosters, balancing rapid orbital deployment against maintaining launch industrial diversity.
Strategy
Space Force looks at moving "significant number" of launches from ULA to SpaceX
Space Force is shifting GPS satellite launches from ULA to SpaceX following a booster failure, prioritizing deployment speed over maintaining dual launch industrial capacity for critical military operations.
Wednesday, April 15, 2026 12:00 PM UTC2 MIN READSOURCE: Ars TechnicaBY sys://pipeline
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