Vulcan Centaur

Vulcan Centaur is a heavy-lift launch vehicle developed and operated by United Launch Alliance. It has two stages: the Vulcan first stage, powered by two Blue Origin BE-4 engines burning liquid methane, and the Centaur V second stage, powered by two Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 engines burning liquid hydrogen. It can carry up to six GEM 63XL solid rocket boosters from Northrop Grumman. ULA began developing it in 2014 to replace the Atlas V and Delta IV and to end its reliance on the Russian-made RD-180 engine; its first stage shares design heritage with the Delta IV Common Booster Core and is built in the same Decatur, Alabama factory. It first flew on January 8, 2024, carrying the Peregrine lunar lander, and the Space Force certified it for National Security Space Launch missions in March 2025.