An anomalous plume was detected from one of the Vulcan rocket’s solid rocket motors during the launch of the USSF-87 mission on February 12, 2026. The United Launch Alliance (ULA) reported that an issue affected one of the four solid rocket boosters (SRBs) designed to assist the Vulcan rocket in its ascent.
The 202-foot-tall (61.6 m) Vulcan rocket lifted off from pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 4:22 a.m. EST (0922 UTC). Less than 30 seconds into the flight, a burn through was observed on one of the nozzles of a Northrop Grumman-built graphite epoxy motor (GEM) 63XL solid rocket booster. Following this, as the rocket executed its pitch over maneuver, it began to roll more than typically expected for this phase of flight.
Despite the anomaly, the Vulcan rocket appeared to counteract the issue effectively. The solid rocket boosters were jettisoned as planned at T+ 1 minute, 37 seconds into the flight. ULA stated, “We had an observation early during flight on one of the four solid rocket motors; the team is currently reviewing the data.” They confirmed that the booster, upper stage, and spacecraft continued to perform on a nominal trajectory.
The USSF-87 mission carried a series of payloads for the U.S. Space Force, including at least one Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellite, with the possibility of a second satellite onboard. ULA leadership indicated that it would take approximately 10 hours from liftoff to complete the mission, suggesting that updates on the payload status would be available later that afternoon.
This launch marked ULA’s second national security mission after the Vulcan rocket’s certification was completed in March 2025. The company has several additional missions planned for 2026, including launches for a GPS satellite and satellites for the Space Force’s Space Development Agency, with a target of 16 to 18 missions using the Vulcan rocket.
The observed anomaly is not unprecedented; it is the second occurrence of a similar issue in just four flights. A burn through was previously noted during the second certification launch of Vulcan on October 4, 2024. Following that incident, ULA and Northrop Grumman conducted a series of tests and analyses, including a hot fire test in Utah, to address the problem. Ultimately, the U.S. Space Force deemed the Vulcan rocket capable of launching national security payloads.
John Elbon, interim CEO of ULA, expressed confidence in the Vulcan rocket’s readiness, stating, “We’ve had a couple of anomalies that we’ve worked through. You all are aware of those. Those are behind us now, and so the Vulcan rocket is ready to go.”
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