Oct. 4 (UPI) -- United Launch Alliance sent its second Vulcan rocket into space on Friday morning after delays that took the launch back more than hour from its original time off the Florida coast.

United Launch Alliance fired off a next-generation Vulcan rocket Friday in the second of two “certification” test flights needed before the new launcher can be used to carry high-priority national security payloads for the U.S. Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office.

No spaceplane in the payload, but it won't be a wasted mission

United Launch Alliance is footing the bill for the second ever launch of its Vulcan Centaur rocket, so it can finally see the payouts for the backlog of $3.1 billion worth of national security missions, ...

Boeing and Lockheed Martin's joint venture, United Launch Alliance, said on Friday its Vulcan rocket successfully launched its second mission, in what is a crucial step to receive certification for Pentagon missions.Vulcan, developed to replace ULA's workhorse Atlas V rocket and rival the reusable Falcon