Our annual power ranking of US rocket companies has changes near the top and bottom

Additionally, Rocket Lab continued its progress as a spacecraft company. It played a key role in supporting Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander earlier this year, and in November, its two ESCAPADE vehicles were safely deployed after launch, beginning the journey to Mars.

As it has evolved, Rocket Lab’s performance capabilities have remained excellent.

4. United Launch Alliance (-2)

It was supposed to be an important year for ULA, with the Vulcan rocket finally getting a chance to fly and move into an operational cadence. Sadly, this did not happen.

In late 2024, company CEO Tory Bruno told reporters that ULA aims to launch 20 missions in 2025, with a roughly even split between the older Atlas V launchers and Vulcan. Now, it’s likely that ULA will close out 2025 with six flights — five with the Atlas V and just one with the Vulcan rocket, which the company is very eager to accelerate into service.

The Vulcan rocket’s only launch this year occurred on August 12, when it flew on a mission sponsored by the US Space Force. In an article in November, Ars estimated that Vulcan would fly only once in 2025 due to ongoing testing of the vehicle’s solid rocket boosters.

To top it all off, in late December, Blue Origin hired Bruno to run its new national security division. That is, ULA leaders are leaving a company that is largely dependent on national defense launch contracts and will become the national defense contract rainmaker over its direct competitor. From which ULA buys its rocket engines.

5. Northrop Grumman (+1)

Only one other American company had a successful orbital launch in 2025, and that was Northrop Grumman. In April, the company’s Minotaur IV rocket delivered a payload into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office.