The primary U.S. nationwide safety launch aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket was the USA Area Pressure (USSF)-106 mission. Liftoff occurred from Area Launch Advanced-41 at Cape Canaveral Area Pressure Station in Florida.
Launch Date and Time: Aug. 12, 2025 at 8:56 p.m. EDT (0056 UTC)
GO Vulcan! GO Centaur! GO USSF-106!
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Mission Overview
A Vulcan Centaur VC4S rocket, with 4 stable rocket boosters, will launch USSF-106 on to geosynchronous orbit for the U.S. Area Pressure’s Area Programs Command. This would be the first Nationwide Safety Area Launch (NSSL) mission on a Vulcan rocket.
Payload Fairing
The spacecraft is encapsulated in a 5.4-m- (17.7-ft-) diameter payload fairing (PLF), a sandwich composite construction made with a vented aluminum-honeycomb core and graphite-epoxy face sheets. The bisector (two-piece shell) PLF encapsulates the spacecraft. The payload connect becoming (PAF) is an identical sandwich composite construction creating the mating interface from spacecraft to second stage and payload fairing. The PLF separates utilizing a debris-free horizontal and vertical separation system with spring packs and frangible joint meeting. The payload fairing is out there within the 15.5-m (51-ft) normal and 21.3-m (70-ft) lengthy configurations.
Centaur V
The Centaur V second stage is 17.7 ft (5.4 m) in diameter and 38.5 ft (11.7 m) in size. Its propellant tanks are pressure-stabilized and constructed of corrosion-resistant stainless-steel. Centaur is a cryogenic automobile, fueled with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, powered by two RL10C-1-1A engines producing 23,825 kilos (106 kilo-Newtons) of thrust. The cryogenic tanks are insulated with a mix of multilayer insulation (MLI) blankets, radiation shields and spray-on foam insulation (SOFI). A fault-tolerant avionics system is mounted on an aft gear shelf. The payload connect becoming (PAF) gives structural and electrical interfaces with the spacecraft and is mounted to the Centaur V Launch Automobile Ahead Adapter (LVFA).
Booster
The booster is 17.7 ft (5.4 m) in diameter and 109.2 ft (33.3 m) in size. The booster’s tanks are structurally inflexible and constructed of orthogrid aluminum barrels, spun-formed aluminum domes with a standard bulkhead. The liquefied pure fuel (LNG) / methane fueled booster can be powered by a pair of BE-4 engines, every producing 550,000 kilos (2,400 kN) of sea degree thrust. 4 graphite epoxy motor (GEM) 63XL stable rocket boosters (SRBs) generate the extra energy required at liftoff, with every offering 459,600 lbs (2,044 kN) of thrust. The Centaur avionics system, gives steering, flight management and automobile sequencing capabilities throughout the booster and Centaur phases of flight.
