United Launch Alliance to Launch Three National Security Space Missions for the Pentagon

Centennial, Colo., Feb. 19, 2019 – The United States Air Force announced today that United Launch Alliance (ULA) was awarded a firm, fixed-price contract to launch three missions on the company’s Atlas V rocket. This contract resulted from a competitive award under the Air Force’s Phase 1A procurement strategy.

“ULA is honored to be selected to launch three missions in this procurement block buy,” said Tory Bruno, ULA’s president and CEO. “ULA’s commercially developed Atlas V rocket has been a workhorse for national security, science and commercial missions since 2002, launching 79 missions with 100 percent mission success and builds on the heritage of more than 600 Atlas program launches.”

The three missions include SILENTBARKER, Space-Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (SBIRS GEO)-5 and SBIRS GEO-6. All will launch from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. SBIRS GEO-5 is expected to be the first mission to launch in March 2021.

“The Atlas V has delivered sensitive and essential missions including classified defense systems, planetary exploration spacecraft and key commercial assets with precise orbital accuracy,” said Bruno. “We draw on that experience as we transition to our next-generation Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle, designed to meet or exceed the needs of our Air Force customer so we can continue to provide reliable, on-time, assured access to space well into the future.”

With more than a century of combined heritage, United Launch Alliance is the world’s most experienced and reliable launch service provider. ULA has successfully delivered 132 missions to orbit that provide Earth observation capabilities, enable global communications, unlock the mysteries of our solar system and support life-saving technology.