Not yet. ULA has discussed recovering the BE-4 engine module separately, but Vulcan currently flies expendable.

When did Vulcan first launch?

Vulcan's maiden flight took place in January 2024, carrying the Astrobotic Peregrine lunar lander and a Celestis memorial payload.

What engines power Vulcan?

Two BE-4 methane/oxygen engines built by Blue Origin power the first stage. The Centaur upper stage uses two RL10 hydrogen/oxygen engines.

ULA Vulcan Centaur: The Successor to Atlas V and Delta IV

Vulcan Centaur is the next-generation rocket from United Launch Alliance (ULA), replacing the venerable Atlas V (which used Russian RD-180 engines) and the Delta IV Heavy. Vulcan keeps ULA's reputation for high-reliability national-security and deep-space missions while moving to all-American propulsion.

Vulcan Centaur specifications

Height: 61.6 m (202 ft)
Diameter (core): 5.4 m (18 ft)
Booster engines: 2 BE-4 (Blue Origin, LNG/LOX)
Solid rocket boosters: 0–6 GEM 63XL (variable)
Upper-stage engines: 2 RL10 (LH2/LOX)
Payload to LEO: Up to 27,200 kg
Payload to GTO: Up to 14,400 kg

Why Vulcan exists

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, U.S. national-security launches could no longer depend on Russian RD-180 engines (used on Atlas V). Vulcan was designed to replace both Atlas V and Delta IV with a single, modular vehicle using domestic BE-4 engines.

What Vulcan launches

NSSL Phase 2 / Phase 3 missions for the U.S. Space Force
NASA deep-space missions (Lucy was on Atlas V; Vulcan inherits future flights)
Amazon Project Kuiper satellites
Sierra Space Dream Chaser cargo flights to the ISS

Centaur — the upper stage that defined deep-space exploration

The Centaur upper stage is one of the most successful rocket stages ever built. Variants of Centaur have launched Voyager, Cassini, Galileo, Pioneer 10/11, and the Mars rovers. Vulcan flies an upgraded Centaur V with more propellant and dual RL10 engines, giving it long-duration mission capability for high-energy orbits.