Vulcan Rocket Faces Booster Glitch During Classified Mission

The United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan rocket lifted off early Thursday from Cape Canaveral, carrying classified Space Force payloads destined for a geosynchronous orbit.

• Launch sequence: The twin BE‑4 engines and four solid boosters pushed the vehicle skyward smoothly.
• Issue: Roughly twenty seconds after liftoff, one strap‑on booster exhibited a nozzle burn‑through, releasing a plume of flame to one side.
• Vehicle behavior: The core and upper stages continued normally, but the rocket rolled sharply just before booster detachment. The roll stopped once the boosters were jettisoned, though its exact cause remains unclear.
• Broadcast: Because the mission was classified, ULA cut the live feed shortly after second‑stage ignition and offered no further details until the ten‑hour flight concluded.

This was Vulcan’s fourth launch and its second classified mission, following a prior nozzle failure that prompted an extensive investigation.

Payloads

• Primary: A Northrop Grumman Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness (GSSAS) satellite, designed to monitor other satellites in a 22,300‑mile orbit that keeps them fixed over Earth’s surface.
• Secondary: An ESPAStar platform—a deployable, solar‑powered bus capable of hosting multiple smaller payloads (also classified).

Implications

The incident underscores the challenges of testing a heavy‑lift vehicle that integrates both American and Russian components. With ULA planning over 20 launches this year, the booster issue could affect future schedules and highlights the need for rigorous safety checks on national security missions.