United Launch Alliance (ULA) had big plans for 2025, aiming to perform up to 10 Vulcan rocket launches this year. However, the company has only managed a single Vulcan flight so far. This marks a big change from their original goals and shows some of the challenges they’ve faced this year.

Early 2025 Launch Goals and Adjustments

Last year, ULA CEO Tory Bruno predicted a busy year with as many as 20 missions. These included a mix of their older Atlas V rockets and the new Vulcan system. The goal was to push Vulcan into regular use and ramp up the number of launches overall. But as the year has gone on, it’s clear that things didn’t go exactly as planned.

Instead of hitting the 10 Vulcan launches they aimed for, ULA has only completed one. They are now scheduled for a total of six launches in 2025. That includes five Atlas V missions and just one Vulcan flight. While this is busy compared to recent years, it’s still well below what they had originally hoped for.

Upcoming and Last Launches of 2025

The next launch on ULA’s schedule is set for December 15. It will use an Atlas V rocket to send broadband satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper into orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This will also be the last launch ULA conducts in 2025.

With only one Vulcan launch so far, ULA’s plans to quickly expand the Vulcan fleet have been put on hold. The company is still focusing on its legacy Atlas V rockets for now. This shift shows that ramping up a new launch system can take longer than expected, especially when there are ongoing operational commitments.

Overall, 2025 has been a year of tempered expectations for ULA. The company has faced some hurdles in increasing its Vulcan launches. It highlights the challenges of developing and deploying new technology while still managing existing launches. Despite the setbacks, ULA remains committed to future launches and the continued growth of its launch capabilities.

Inspired by

• https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/11/ula-aimed-to-launch-up-to-10-vulcan-rockets-this-year-it-will-fly-just-once/