Who Are the Major Rocket Companies? US Launch Providers Compared
A handful of companies fly nearly every US launch, from tiny satellites to astronauts. This guide sorts them by rocket, launch site and what each is best known for.
The major US rocket companies are SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (ULA), Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, Firefly Aerospace and Northrop Grumman. SpaceX flies the large majority of US launches with its Falcon 9. ULA flies Vulcan and Atlas V, Blue Origin flies New Glenn, Rocket Lab flies the small Electron, and Firefly flies Alpha.
Each company fills a different niche, from tiny satellites to crews bound for the space station. The status below reflects what the companies have announced as of November 2026. New rockets often slip, so check each company’s own site for the latest.
Which rockets does each company fly?
Each major company flies one or two operational rockets from a small set of launch sites. The table lists the main ones.
| Company | Rockets | Main US launch sites | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpaceX | Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy; Starship in test flights | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 and Kennedy LC-39A (Florida); Vandenberg SLC-4E (California); Starbase (Texas) for Starship | Reusable boosters, crew and cargo flights to the ISS, Starlink |
| United Launch Alliance | Vulcan, Atlas V | Cape Canaveral SLC-41; Vandenberg SLC-3E | National security launches, NASA science missions |
| Blue Origin | New Glenn; New Shepard (suborbital) | Cape Canaveral LC-36; West Texas for New Shepard | Heavy-lift reusable booster, Blue Moon lunar lander |
| Rocket Lab | Electron; Neutron in development | Wallops Island, Virginia (plus its own site in New Zealand) | Small satellite launches, spacecraft parts |
| Firefly Aerospace | Alpha; Eclipse in development | Vandenberg (California) | Small launches, Blue Ghost lunar lander |
| Northrop Grumman | Minotaur, Pegasus XL; Antares upgrade in development | Vandenberg; Wallops; Pegasus drops from an aircraft | Solid rocket motors, Cygnus cargo spacecraft |
What does SpaceX fly?
SpaceX flies Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy and is testing Starship. Falcon 9 is the workhorse of the US launch market. It carries Crew Dragon astronauts and Cargo Dragon supplies to the space station, NASA science missions, military satellites, commercial satellites and its own Starlink satellites.
Falcon 9’s first stage lands after most flights and flies again, which is the main reason SpaceX can launch so often. Falcon Heavy straps together three Falcon 9 cores for the heaviest payloads. Starship, the much larger fully reusable rocket, flies test missions from Starbase in South Texas, and SpaceX is building launch sites for it in Florida. Our explainer on how SpaceX reuses its boosters covers the landing process.
What do ULA and Blue Origin fly?
ULA flies Vulcan and Atlas V, and Blue Origin flies New Glenn for orbital missions and New Shepard for suborbital ones. Both companies launch from Cape Canaveral.
ULA is a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Its current rockets are Vulcan, its newer heavy rocket, and Atlas V, which is flying out its remaining contracted missions. ULA has long flown many US national security satellites and NASA science missions. As of November 2026, a Vulcan carrying 40 Amazon Leo satellites was targeted for November 13 from Cape Canaveral.
Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, first launched New Glenn from Launch Complex 36 in January 2025. Its first stage is designed to land on a ship and fly again. New Shepard has carried paying passengers and research payloads on short suborbital hops from West Texas. Blue Origin is also building the Blue Moon lander for NASA’s Artemis program.
What do Rocket Lab and Firefly fly?
Rocket Lab and Firefly fly small rockets for satellites up to about one ton. They serve customers who want a dedicated ride to a specific orbit instead of sharing a big rocket.
Rocket Lab flies Electron, a small rocket that launches mostly from New Zealand and also from Wallops Island, Virginia. It also flies a suborbital version for hypersonic testing. The company is developing Neutron, a larger reusable rocket that will launch from Wallops; check Rocket Lab’s own updates for its current target date. Rocket Lab also builds satellites and spacecraft parts.
Firefly flies Alpha, which Firefly rates at about 1,030 kg (2,270 lb) to low Earth orbit, from Vandenberg. Its Blue Ghost lander touched down on the Moon in March 2025 for NASA. Firefly and Northrop Grumman are jointly developing a larger rocket, Eclipse.
What about Northrop Grumman and other companies?
Northrop Grumman flies smaller solid-fuel rockets, Minotaur and the air-launched Pegasus XL, and supplies solid rocket boosters to other launchers. It builds the boosters for NASA’s Space Launch System and solid motors used on ULA rockets. Its Cygnus spacecraft carries cargo to the space station. Its Antares rocket is being upgraded with a new first stage built with Firefly.
Several newer companies are building rockets, including Relativity Space and Stoke Space, both with launch sites at Cape Canaveral. Outside the US, Arianespace (Europe), the Indian Space Research Organisation, Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and China’s state and private companies also launch regularly.
All US commercial launches need a license from the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation. Our guide to how much a rocket launch costs compares published prices, and how NASA contracts work explains how NASA picks among these companies.
Bottom line
SpaceX flies most US launches with Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy and tests Starship in Texas. ULA flies Vulcan and Atlas V, and Blue Origin flies New Glenn, all from Cape Canaveral. Rocket Lab flies the small Electron from New Zealand and Virginia, and Firefly flies Alpha from Vandenberg. Northrop Grumman supplies solid motors and flies Minotaur and Pegasus.
FAQ
Which company launches the most rockets?
SpaceX launches far more rockets than any other US company, mostly with Falcon 9. Many of those flights carry its own Starlink satellites.
What is the difference between ULA and SpaceX?
ULA is a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin that flies Vulcan and Atlas V, mostly for government customers. SpaceX is a separate private company that flies reusable Falcon rockets for government, commercial and its own Starlink missions.
Does Blue Origin launch to orbit?
Yes. Blue Origin’s New Glenn first flew to orbit in January 2025 from Cape Canaveral. Its smaller New Shepard rocket flies only short suborbital hops.
Where does Rocket Lab launch from?
Rocket Lab launches Electron mostly from its own site on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand, and also from Wallops Island, Virginia. Neutron, its larger rocket in development, is set to launch from Wallops.
