United Launch Alliance

United Launch Alliance, or ULA, is an American launch company formed in December 2006 as a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space and Security. It inherited the Atlas V from Lockheed Martin and the Delta family from Boeing, and the Delta rockets have since been retired while Atlas V is being phased out. Its replacement, the Vulcan Centaur, began development in 2014 and made its first flight in January 2024. Blue Origin supplies engines for Vulcan. ULA’s main customers are the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA, though it also launches commercial payloads. ULA assembles its rockets from engines, boosters and other parts made by other companies.

What it does

Launch provider

Founded

1 December 2006

Headquarters

Centennial

Key vehicles

Atlas V, Vulcan Centaur

Data as of 2 November 2026. Source: Wikidata (CC0). All the private spaceflight companies.