Vulcan-VC4S | GSSAP 7, GSSAP 8 + inne| 12.02.2026

[Orionid]

32)

Dziś poleciał Vulcan. Znowu rozwaliła się dysza jednej z rakiet SRB, ale chyba nic złego się nie stało.
Widać rozwałkę tuż po 65 sekundzie od startu.

4. start RN Vulcan.
1. start RN Vulcan w 2026.

VC4S - oznaczenie to odnosi się do użycia czterech silników rakietowych GEM-63XL i standardowej długości osłony.

Podczas lotu jeden z silników GEM-63XL uległ poważnemu uszkodzeniu.
System nawigacyjny rakiety zdołał skompensować asymetrię ciągu, wykorzystując silniki BE-4 w centralnej części stopnia.
Mimo to satelity GSSAP 7 i 8 zostały bezpiecznie wyniesione na orbitę.

Satelity zbudowane są na platformie GEOStar-1.
Wbudowana rezerwa ∆v może sięgać do 1 km/s w wersji podstawowej, co jest bardzo przydatne do głównego zadania satelity.
Jest to zbieranie danych elektronicznych i optycznych o sztucznych obiektach kosmicznych w pobliżu orbity geostacjonarnej w ramach systemu SBSS.
https://x.com/Kosmo_Michal/status/2022347442209894859

Orbitalni zwiadowcy
  12.02. o 09:22 z Cape Canaveral wystrzelona została RN Vulcan-VC4S, która wyniosła na orbitę geostacjonarną w ramach misji USSF-87 satelity zwiadu orbitalnego GSSAP 7 (Hor7) i GSSAP 8 (Hor8) oraz
dyspenser ESPA z nieznaną ilością satelitów.
Podczas lotu, w T+01' 07" doszło do przepalenia jednej z rakiet startowych GEM 63XL, jednak nie wpłynęło to na osiągniętą orbitę.
http://lk.astronautilus.pl/n260201.htm#09
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=60381.0

GSSAP 7 (Hornet 7, USA 582 ?, USSF 87) https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/gssap-1.htm
GSSAP 8 (Hornet 8, USA 583 ?, USSF 87)
USA 584 ?
    (multiple satellites)

Pierwsze przybycie rakiety Vulcan do bazy  Vandenberg.

ULA @ulalaunch 11:04 PM · Feb 3, 2026
Exciting news! The R/S Rocket Ship is offloading a Vulcan rocket! This marks the historic first arrival of the Vulcan rocket at Vandenberg Space Force Base in advance of a future government mission from the West Coast.
@SLDelta30 @USSF_SSC

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/2018807726038827236

[Orionid]

Końcowa faza przygotowań do startu.

ULA @ulalaunch 8:01 PM · Feb 4, 2026
United Launch Alliance is now in final preparations for our next Vulcan launch with attachment of the USSF-87 payload to the rocket.
 
The launch, planned for Feb. 12, could not be more critical. With space being the new battlefield high ground, ULA will help to protect U.S. national security orbital assets by launching a "neighborhood watch" surveillance system directly into geosynchronous orbit. USSF-87 will also set new Vulcan performance and endurance records during this launch.
 
Learn more in our blog: https://blog.ulalaunch.com/blog/ussf-87-vulcan-rocket-to-set-new-performance-and-endurance-records
 
Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCFgay
Launch info: http://bit.ly/vulcan_ussf87

https://x.com/ulalaunch/status/2019124057451475140

ULA @ulalaunch 8:54 PM · Feb 6, 2026
ULA's Vulcan rocket is generating three million pounds of thrust as it soars to geosynchronous orbit on the U.S. Space Force's USSF-87 mission, continuing ULA's legacy of serving our national security interests in space. Learn more about the launch, planned for Feb. 12, in this preview.
Also available on YouTube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=0njqgAJqorE

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/2019862269589430736

[Orionid]

ULA @ulalaunch 9:42 PM · Feb 8, 2026
2.12.26

https://x.com/ulalaunch/status/2020599053084471784

Rollout

ULA @ulalaunch 5:32 PM · Feb 10, 2026
Rollout is underway of the United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket to send USSF-87 to geosynchronous orbit on Thursday at 3:30 a.m. EST (0830 UTC). http://bit.ly/vulcan_ussf87

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/2021260911957135533

ULA @ulalaunch 11:06 PM · Feb 10, 2026
The Vulcan rocket travels to the launch pad with USSF-87 payload. Liftoff is planned for Thursday morning from Cape Canaveral.
Photo album: https://flic.kr/ps/3ju3XB

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/2021345113432068105

ULA @ulalaunch 7:44 PM · Feb 11, 2026
Vertical integration of our rockets with their payloads is one of the things that sets United Launch Alliance apart from others. Watch what it takes to ready a 20-story-tall Vulcan rocket to launch U.S. national security satellites for the Space Force’s USSF-87 mission, scheduled for liftoff Thursday at 3:30 a.m. EST (0830 UTC).
http://bit.ly/vulcan_ussf87

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/2021656532518060274

[Orionid]

Rakieta gotowa do rozpoczęcia operacji załadunku kriogenicznego paliwa.

ULA @ulalaunch 5:37 AM · Feb 12, 2026
We have a GO for cryogenic propellant loading operations, the sequence that will load nearly a million pounds of rocket fuel into the Vulcan and Centaur V stages to perform their long mission ahead of them tonight.
Launching in the middle of the night is fitting for a payload on the USSF-87 mission. This "night owl" system is designed by the U.S. Space Force to keep a watchful eye on satellites and objects that reside in geosynchronous orbit, 22,000 miles above the Earth.

Liftoff remains on schedule during our two-hour launch window opening at 3:30 a.m. EST (0830 UTC) from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral.
http://bit.ly/vulcan_ussf87

https://x.com/ulalaunch/status/2021805760619954657

2) Infografika

ULA @ulalaunch 9:32 AM · Feb 12, 2026
The versatile Vulcan rocket combines the best of today's Atlas V and Delta IV Heavy into a single-core rocket to support U.S. national security, commercial and civil launch needs. Today we are flying the VC4S variant that stands 202 ft. tall and generates nearly 3 million lbs. of thrust.

https://x.com/ulalaunch/status/2021865030149415293

3)

ULA @ulalaunch 9:57 AM · Feb 12, 2026
The Vulcan rocket is fully fueled and configured for today's USSF-87 mission for the Space Force and Space Systems Command. Clocks are holding at T-minus 7 minutes for final readiness polls before we enter Terminal Count. 
Our visibility graphic shows when Vulcan will rise into view for spectators along the East Coast today. http://bit.ly/vulcan_ussf87

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/2021871165229216177

[Orionid]

ULA @ulalaunch 10:46 AM · Feb 12, 2026
To recap, Vulcan launched at 4:22 a.m. EST (0922 UTC) from Cape Canaveral for the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command. At the request of our customer, this will conclude our live coverage of today's countdown and liftoff of USSF-87. http://bit.ly/vulcan_ussf87

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/2021883496302604552

Max Evans @_MaxQ_ 12:48 PM · Feb 12, 2026
Tracking footage from this morning's launch of @ulalaunch's Vulcan rocket & the USSF-87 mission for @USSpaceForce
 - filmed from a perspective 3.9 miles to the west of SLC-41.
SRM nozzle burn through plainly visible on the right-hand side of the vehicle, protruding in the direction of the twin BE-4 engines on the core booster.
As alarming as this was, it's promising to see that the vehicle held a nominal trajectory as the flight progressed, per ULA's latest update. Standing by for additional word.
📸 -  @NASASpaceflight [...]

https://twitter.com/_MaxQ_/status/2021914314739736735

[Orionid]

Nagranie po 3 godzinach od startu.

Mickey @mickeywzx 6:34 PM · Feb 14, 2026
3hrs time lapse for USSF-87 Centaur V upper stage post separation action on Feb 12th, including fuel dumping and possible disposal maneuver.
They are all inserted into a sub GEO orbit.
In the end, Centaur V appears to drift eastward faster than the two spotted payloads.

https://twitter.com/mickeywzx/status/2022726226956423335

ULA @ulalaunch 11:24 AM · Feb 12, 2026
We had an observation early during flight on one of the four solid rocket motors, the team is currently reviewing the data. The booster, upper stage, and spacecraft continued to perform on a nominal trajectory.

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/2021893224907083949

[Orionid]

ULA to launch geosynchronous orbit surveillance satellite for the U.S. Space Force
February 11, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

(...) “This mission will last, total duration from launch to end of mission, 10 hours. As has been stated before, Vulcan was purpose built and this is the type of mission that the team actually designed this launch vehicle to support,” said Gary Wentz, ULA’s vice president of Atlas and Vulcan Programs.

“It’s significant payloads to very complex orbits, multi-manifested national security space, direct to GEO (geosynchronous Earth orbit). So this is tailor fit for that mission. This is why we put the Vulcan in place and designed it this way.”

Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is scheduled for 3:30 a.m. EST (0830 UTC), at the opening of a two-hour window. The rocket will fly on an easterly trajectory upon leaving the launch pad. (...)
https://spaceflightnow.com/2026/02/11/live-coverage-ula-to-launch-geosynchronous-orbit-surveillance-satellite-for-the-u-s-space-force/

Vulcan suffers solid rocket booster problem during USSF-87 launch
February 12, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

(...) This was ULA’s second national security mission following completion of the Vulcan rocket’s certification in March 2025. There are several more on the company’s launch manifest for 2026, including a GPS satellite and satellites for the Space Force’s Space Development Agency.

ULA’s plan for 2026 was to launch 16 to 18 missions with Vulcan. The latter vehicle would launch from both coasts. (...)
https://spaceflightnow.com/2026/02/12/vulcan-suffers-solid-rocket-booster-problem-during-ussf-87-launch/

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/02/ussf-87-launch/