Launch Delays Loom For Critical Space Force Missions
The grounding of United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan heavy lifter due to a performance anomaly may result in launch delays and/or reassignments to other launch providers for multiple upcoming Space Force and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) missions. According to Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess, Space Force deputy chief of operations, the service is still assessing the impacts, but several launches, including the first Next-Gen GEO and Wideband Global SATCOM-11+, may be affected. The Space Force has already shifted the planned Vulcan launch of the final GPS III series satellite to a SpaceX Falcon 9. This development was first reported by Breaking Defense.