Promise Ledger

United Launch Alliance: public spaceflight commitments

Launch provider (Atlas V, Vulcan). These are the dated public commitments by United Launch Alliance and its people that we could source to a primary, with what happened.

1 entry: 1 revised.

Plain counts, not a grade or a ranking. A short record is not a complete one. Updated Sep 28, 2026; each entry shows the date it was last checked against its source; scoring rules on the methodology page.

This first release is a selection, and a short record is not a complete record. Each programme milestone enters the ledger at its earliest dated public commitment we can find in a primary source, for governments and companies alike. Later dated commitments for the same milestone are shown on that one entry as a revision chain, oldest first, rather than as separate entries.

Entries

Met

Met late

Missed

Revised

Pending

What the statuses mean

Revised:: the date or quantity was moved before it came due.

Entries, soonest deadline first

First Vulcan flight in 2019
Revised · worded as a target
First flight · United Launch Alliance
“Development is on schedule to achieve qualification for flight in 2017 to support the first Vulcan flight in 2019.”
Said Sep 10, 2015. Source: United Launch Alliance: ULA and Blue Origin Announce Production Agreement for American-Made BE-4 Engine (Sep 10, 2015, paragraph 2)
Context: Joint ULA and Blue Origin release on the BE-4 production agreement; 'Development' refers to the BE-4 engine.
Deadline
“in 2019”, read as Dec 31, 2019 (year precision)Worded as a target ("targeting", "plan", "expect", "no earlier than")
Counts as met when
Vulcan lifts off for the first time.
Later dated commitments for the same milestone
1. Sep 27, 2018: “is on track for its initial flight in mid-2020” (new date as stated: mid-2020, read as Sep 30, 2020). RevisedSource: United Launch Alliance: United Launch Alliance Building Rocket of the Future with Industry-Leading Strategic Partnerships (Sep 27, 2018, first paragraph)
2. Aug 12, 2019: “in preparation for its first launch in 2021” (new date as stated: 2021, read as Dec 31, 2021). RevisedSource: United Launch Alliance: Vulcan Centaur Rocket on Schedule for First Flight in 2021 (Aug 12, 2019)
3. Nov 18, 2021, Tory Bruno (President and CEO, United Launch Alliance): “when Vulcan flys next year, it will be pretty much the largest volume out there” (new date as stated: next year, read as Dec 31, 2022). RevisedSource: Tory Bruno on X: Vulcan's PLF is entirely dedicated to the spacecraft (Nov 18, 2021)
4. Oct 12, 2022: “ULA is proceeding to a first flight of Vulcan 1st quarter 2023 to align with a request from its payload customer Astrobotic” (new date as stated: 1st quarter 2023, read as Mar 31, 2023). RevisedSource: United Launch Alliance: ULA Sets Path Forward for Inaugural Vulcan Flight Test (Oct 12, 2022, paragraph 3)
5. Jan 13, 2023, Tory Bruno (President and CEO, United Launch Alliance): “The first Vulcan is complete, and we look forward to the test flight this year.” (new date as stated: this year, read as Dec 31, 2023). RevisedSource: United Launch Alliance: ULA's Innovative Vulcan Rocket One Step Closer to Launch (Jan 13, 2023, paragraph 2)
6. Feb 23, 2023: “Based on that window, we are targeting #VulcanRocket’s first launch in May.” (new date as stated: in May, read as May 31, 2023). RevisedSource: United Launch Alliance on X: #VulcanRocket update thread (engine qualification testing into mid April) (Feb 23, 2023)
7. May 11, 2023, Tory Bruno (President and CEO, United Launch Alliance): “With success here, and a resolution of the Centaur V ground test anomaly, we are protecting for a #Vulcan Cert-1 Launch this summer.” (new date as stated: this summer, read as Sep 30, 2023). RevisedSource: Tory Bruno on X: protecting for a #Vulcan Cert-1 Launch this summer (May 11, 2023)
8. Aug 15, 2023, Tory Bruno (President and CEO, United Launch Alliance): “Looking good for a launch this year.” (new date as stated: this year, read as Dec 31, 2023). RevisedSource: Tory Bruno on X: Just left the Rocket Factory (Aug 15, 2023)
9. Oct 24, 2023: “ULA's #VulcanRocket first certification mission (#Cert1) is planned to launch on Sunday, Dec. 24, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.” (new date as stated: Sunday, Dec. 24, read as Dec 24, 2023). RevisedSource: United Launch Alliance on X: Cert1 planned to launch on Sunday, Dec. 24 (Oct 24, 2023)
10. Dec 10, 2023, Tory Bruno (President and CEO, United Launch Alliance): “I'd like a FULL WDR before our first flight, so XMAS eve is likely out. Next Peregrine window is 8 Jan.” (new date as stated: Next Peregrine window is 8 Jan, read as Jan 8, 2024). MetSource: Tory Bruno on X: #VulcanRocket WDR update (Dec 10, 2023)
11. Dec 14, 2023: “Following a successful WDR, the launch of ULA's first #VulcanRocket flight test and #Cert1 mission is planned for Jan. 8, 2024, pending range approval.” (new date as stated: Jan. 8, 2024, pending range approval, read as Jan 8, 2024). MetSource: United Launch Alliance on X: Cert1 planned for Jan. 8, 2024 (Dec 14, 2023)
The counts use the original commitment. The latest date in the chain stands as: met.
Outcome: Vulcan first flew on 2024-01-08 (Cert-1, carrying Astrobotic's Peregrine lander). (Jan 8, 2024, on or before the latest deadline)
Outcome source: United Launch Alliance: Vulcan launches the first certification mission (Cert-1) (Jan 8, 2024)
Checked against the source on Sep 26, 2026. Report a correction or send a response to this entry ·

Corrections, responses and submissions

Something wrong? Report a correction with the entry and a source. Every entry also has its own link.
An organisation named here can send its public response to an entry through the same link; a dated, sourced response is shown on the entry.
Know a dated public commitment we have not listed? Submit it with the exact words and a primary source (the speaker's own post, video with a timestamp, release, filing or transcript).
The same rules and the same standard of evidence apply to everyone. Confirmed changes are logged on the corrections page with the date.

Open data: download the whole ledger (CSV, CC BY 4.0). Archived on Zenodo, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22985970. How entries are scored: methodology. No sponsor, advertiser or partner can add, remove, reorder, annotate or preview an entry, and these pages carry no advertising.

Cite as: SpaceNexus. (2026). SpaceNexus Promise Ledger (Version 2026-09-28) [Data set]. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22985970. Licensed CC BY 4.0.

The whole Promise Ledger, with every organisation and person, and the topic trackers.

United Launch Alliance: public spaceflight commitments

Launch provider (Atlas V, Vulcan). These are the dated public commitments by United Launch Alliance and its people that we could source to a primary, with what happened.

1 entry: 1 revised.

Entries

Met

Met late

Missed

Revised

Pending

What the statuses mean

Revised:: the date or quantity was moved before it came due.

Entries, soonest deadline first

First Vulcan flight in 2019
Revised · worded as a target
First flight · United Launch Alliance
“Development is on schedule to achieve qualification for flight in 2017 to support the first Vulcan flight in 2019.”
Said Sep 10, 2015. Source: United Launch Alliance: ULA and Blue Origin Announce Production Agreement for American-Made BE-4 Engine (Sep 10, 2015, paragraph 2)
Context: Joint ULA and Blue Origin release on the BE-4 production agreement; 'Development' refers to the BE-4 engine.
Deadline
“in 2019”, read as Dec 31, 2019 (year precision)Worded as a target ("targeting", "plan", "expect", "no earlier than")
Counts as met when
Vulcan lifts off for the first time.
Later dated commitments for the same milestone
1. Sep 27, 2018: “is on track for its initial flight in mid-2020” (new date as stated: mid-2020, read as Sep 30, 2020). RevisedSource: United Launch Alliance: United Launch Alliance Building Rocket of the Future with Industry-Leading Strategic Partnerships (Sep 27, 2018, first paragraph)
2. Aug 12, 2019: “in preparation for its first launch in 2021” (new date as stated: 2021, read as Dec 31, 2021). RevisedSource: United Launch Alliance: Vulcan Centaur Rocket on Schedule for First Flight in 2021 (Aug 12, 2019)
3. Nov 18, 2021, Tory Bruno (President and CEO, United Launch Alliance): “when Vulcan flys next year, it will be pretty much the largest volume out there” (new date as stated: next year, read as Dec 31, 2022). RevisedSource: Tory Bruno on X: Vulcan's PLF is entirely dedicated to the spacecraft (Nov 18, 2021)
4. Oct 12, 2022: “ULA is proceeding to a first flight of Vulcan 1st quarter 2023 to align with a request from its payload customer Astrobotic” (new date as stated: 1st quarter 2023, read as Mar 31, 2023). RevisedSource: United Launch Alliance: ULA Sets Path Forward for Inaugural Vulcan Flight Test (Oct 12, 2022, paragraph 3)
5. Jan 13, 2023, Tory Bruno (President and CEO, United Launch Alliance): “The first Vulcan is complete, and we look forward to the test flight this year.” (new date as stated: this year, read as Dec 31, 2023). RevisedSource: United Launch Alliance: ULA's Innovative Vulcan Rocket One Step Closer to Launch (Jan 13, 2023, paragraph 2)
6. Feb 23, 2023: “Based on that window, we are targeting #VulcanRocket’s first launch in May.” (new date as stated: in May, read as May 31, 2023). RevisedSource: United Launch Alliance on X: #VulcanRocket update thread (engine qualification testing into mid April) (Feb 23, 2023)
7. May 11, 2023, Tory Bruno (President and CEO, United Launch Alliance): “With success here, and a resolution of the Centaur V ground test anomaly, we are protecting for a #Vulcan Cert-1 Launch this summer.” (new date as stated: this summer, read as Sep 30, 2023). RevisedSource: Tory Bruno on X: protecting for a #Vulcan Cert-1 Launch this summer (May 11, 2023)
8. Aug 15, 2023, Tory Bruno (President and CEO, United Launch Alliance): “Looking good for a launch this year.” (new date as stated: this year, read as Dec 31, 2023). RevisedSource: Tory Bruno on X: Just left the Rocket Factory (Aug 15, 2023)
9. Oct 24, 2023: “ULA's #VulcanRocket first certification mission (#Cert1) is planned to launch on Sunday, Dec. 24, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.” (new date as stated: Sunday, Dec. 24, read as Dec 24, 2023). RevisedSource: United Launch Alliance on X: Cert1 planned to launch on Sunday, Dec. 24 (Oct 24, 2023)
10. Dec 10, 2023, Tory Bruno (President and CEO, United Launch Alliance): “I'd like a FULL WDR before our first flight, so XMAS eve is likely out. Next Peregrine window is 8 Jan.” (new date as stated: Next Peregrine window is 8 Jan, read as Jan 8, 2024). MetSource: Tory Bruno on X: #VulcanRocket WDR update (Dec 10, 2023)
11. Dec 14, 2023: “Following a successful WDR, the launch of ULA's first #VulcanRocket flight test and #Cert1 mission is planned for Jan. 8, 2024, pending range approval.” (new date as stated: Jan. 8, 2024, pending range approval, read as Jan 8, 2024). MetSource: United Launch Alliance on X: Cert1 planned for Jan. 8, 2024 (Dec 14, 2023)
The counts use the original commitment. The latest date in the chain stands as: met.
Outcome: Vulcan first flew on 2024-01-08 (Cert-1, carrying Astrobotic's Peregrine lander). (Jan 8, 2024, on or before the latest deadline)
Outcome source: United Launch Alliance: Vulcan launches the first certification mission (Cert-1) (Jan 8, 2024)
Checked against the source on Sep 26, 2026. Report a correction or send a response to this entry ·

Corrections, responses and submissions

Something wrong? Report a correction with the entry and a source. Every entry also has its own link.
An organisation named here can send its public response to an entry through the same link; a dated, sourced response is shown on the entry.
Know a dated public commitment we have not listed? Submit it with the exact words and a primary source (the speaker's own post, video with a timestamp, release, filing or transcript).
The same rules and the same standard of evidence apply to everyone. Confirmed changes are logged on the corrections page with the date.

Cite as: SpaceNexus. (2026). SpaceNexus Promise Ledger (Version 2026-09-28) [Data set]. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22985970. Licensed CC BY 4.0.

The whole Promise Ledger, with every organisation and person, and the topic trackers.

United Launch Alliance: public spaceflight commitments

Entries, soonest deadline first

First Vulcan flight in 2019

Corrections, responses and submissions

United Launch Alliance: public spaceflight commitments

Entries, soonest deadline first

First Vulcan flight in 2019

Corrections, responses and submissions

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