United Launch Alliance (ULA) has lost a national security launch contract to SpaceX, forcing the Space Force to shift a GPS III-8 mission to a Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The decision comes as ULA continues to grapple with technical issues on its new Vulcan rocket, which suffered a booster nozzle failure during its sole launch of the year on March 11, 2026. The mission, originally scheduled for Vulcan, is now set for no earlier than late April from Space Launch Complex 40.
ULA’s current focus is on its remaining Atlas V rockets while engineers work to resolve problems with the solid rocket boosters supplied by Northrop Grumman. The company’s next launch, slated for early Sunday from Space Launch Complex 41, will carry more Amazon satellites for Project Leo. However, the backlog of national security missions—originally assigned to Vulcan—remains on hold, straining ULA’s capacity.
The GPS III-8 mission, which will deploy a GPS satellite to medium-Earth orbit, marks the fourth time the Space Force has redirected a task order from ULA to SpaceX under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 contract. The shift follows similar moves in previous years as Vulcan’s reliability concerns persist.
ULA officials have not provided a timeline for resolving the booster issues, but the repeated delays have intensified pressure on the company to deliver on its commitments. Meanwhile, SpaceX continues to secure high-profile national security contracts, reinforcing its dominance in the competitive launch market.
The Space Force’s decision underscores the growing reliance on SpaceX for critical missions while ULA navigates its transition from the Atlas V to the Vulcan rocket. With no resolution in sight for the technical hurdles, the Space Coast’s aerospace industry remains in flux as two major players vie for dominance.