United Launch Alliance said on X that the launch of a Vulcan VC6L rocket carrying the next batch of production satellites for Amazon Leo, Vulcan Leo 1, is planned for Friday, Nov. 13, pending range approval.
Spaceflight Now reported the mission would return Vulcan to flight after a nine-month grounding due to problems with its solid rocket boosters.
According to ULA's mission page, a Vulcan VC6L configured with the LEO-optimized Centaur V, six side-mounted solid rocket boosters and a longer-length payload fairing will loft 40 satellites for Amazon Leo from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Solid rocket boosters are strap-on motors that supply extra power at liftoff; ULA says each of six GEM 63XL units provides 2,044 kilonewtons of thrust.