ULA launches final national security Atlas V

ULA launched an Atlas V rocket early this morning carrying a classified payload. This was the Atlas V’s final national security payload, with the remaining NSSL missions being carried out by the company’s new Vulcan rocket.

At 6:45 A.M. ET Tuesday morning, an Atlas V lifted off from SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The mission, designated USSF-51, was a classified payload awarded to ULA by the Space Force under its National Security Space Launch contract.

The Atlas V rocket was launched in a 551 configuration, its largest and most powerful variation. It’s unknown what was inside the payload, however Space Systems Command confirmed it was deployed into its correct orbit about seven hours after it lifted off.

For ULA this was its 100th national security launch, a sector it has dominated in since its inception in the early 2000s from its merger of Lockheed Martin and Boeing rocket programs. For many years it was a defacto monopoly on government launch contracts, operating all the popular rockets of its time, Delta II, Delta IV, and the Atlas V.

With SpaceX‘s come up in the launch services scene, ULA’s dominance is no more. The company is reportedly looking for a sale and has come out with a new rocket, called Vulcan, that should have a better chance of competing against SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy.

USSF-51 was also the Atlas V’s final national security mission. The remaining 15 Atlas Vs have all been purchased for commercial missions like Boeing’s Starliner flights and Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites.

ULA plans to move all of its future government launches to Vulcan. The rocket debuted earlier this year with its Cert-1 mission where it launched Astrobotics’ first Peregrine lunar lander towards the Moon. It’s next launch, Cert-2, will feature a mass simulator for a speedier certification for future Space Force launches.

Vulcan has also seen an increase in commercial launch contracts. As it continues to attempt to compete with SpaceX, more commercial contracts will be necessary for the company to stay relevant.