The U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC) and United Launch Alliance (ULA) have completed the first National Security Space Launch (NSSL) mission aboard a Vulcan VC4S rocket. Liftoff occurred Aug. 12 at 5:56 p.m. PDT (8:56 p.m. EDT) from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
Spacecraft separation took place about seven hours later, placing the pay by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 13, 2025
The U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC) and United Launch Alliance (ULA) have completed the first National Security Space Launch (NSSL) mission aboard a Vulcan VC4S rocket. Liftoff occurred Aug. 12 at 5:56 p.m. PDT (8:56 p.m. EDT) from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
Spacecraft separation took place about seven hours later, placing the payload into geosynchronous Earth orbit and marking mission success.
"It's an exciting day for us as we launched the first NSSL flight of Vulcan, an outstanding achievement for United Launch Alliance and the nation's strategic space lift capability. This is an important milestone for the Space Force and all involved," said Col. Jim Horne, USSF-106 Mission Director.
ULA CEO Tory Bruno noted the mission's success as the culmination of years of development, technical collaboration, and dedication from ULA teams and government mission partners, ensuring the first Vulcan NSSL mission safely delivered its payloads.
The mission carried the Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3), an Air Force Vanguard project led by the Air Force Research Laboratory and built by L3Harris Technologies. This experimental spacecraft, the first U.S. integrated navigation satellite in nearly 50 years, features a reprogrammable signal system, electronically steerable antenna, and advanced timekeeping algorithms to demonstrate resilient satellite navigation.
SSC's Assured Access to Space (AATS) program manages launch services to deploy critical space-based capabilities for U.S. warfighters, intelligence agencies, allies, and partners. It sustains launch and test infrastructure to maintain on-orbit warfighting readiness across all conflict phases, while also enabling U.S. economic, technological, and scientific growth.
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