United Launch Alliance (ULA) Logo

United Launch Alliance, often referred to as ULA, is an American space launch services company. It is a joint venture between two major American aerospace companies, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which was created in 2006 by merging the single-use launch systems divisions of the two companies.

ULA uses Atlas V, Delta IV, and Delta Heavy launch vehicles to launch various payloads into space, primarily serving U.S. government and commercial entities. The primary launch sites are Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, where critical national security, science, and commercial payloads are launched.

The range of payloads launched by ULA is vast and includes NASA planetary exploration missions, Earth observation satellites, classified government surveillance satellites, and commercial communications satellites. Since its inception in 2006, the company has conducted more than 145 successful launches, maintaining an impeccable mission success rate.

ULA is currently focused on the development of the Vulcan Centaur, a next-generation rocket that is expected to replace the Atlas V and Delta IV in the coming years. In line with this goal, ULA has entered into a strategic alliance with Blue Origin to develop BE-4 liquid rocket engines for the Vulcan rocket.

The company’s operations are supported by a workforce of more than 2,500 employees who work interstate, manufacturing Delta and Atlas rockets in Alabama and Colorado, respectively. In 2020, in a significant corporate reshuffle, ULA became an independent subsidiary of Boeing as Boeing acquired Lockheed Martin’s stake in the joint venture.