SpaceX vs United Launch Alliance: Heavy & medium compared

November 2026 edition · assessment by Frontier Tech Intelligence

SpaceX ranks 1 on the Space 100 with a score of 100; United Launch Alliance ranks 38 with 77. SpaceX is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, progress, technology, positioning, firepower and leverage. SpaceX is based in Starbase, United States, United Launch Alliance in Centennial, United States. SpaceX: Public, founded 2002. United Launch Alliance: Established. SpaceX is named in 2938 signals and United Launch Alliance in 137.

SpaceX →

Starbase, Texas, United States · Space · Launch / Heavy & medium · Public · founded 2002 · spacex.com

SpaceX sells and operates orbital launch services using Falcon 9 and Starship, including commercial rideshare, NASA, ESA, and national-security missions.

Space 100 · rank 1 · score 100AI Core · watchlist · score 93

Scores, Space (of 10)

Deployment10
Production10
Commercials10
Progress10
Technology10
Positioning10
Firepower10
Leverage10

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

Through SpaceX AI (formerly xAI), the only lab that owns gigawatt-class compute outright with on-site power (Colossus, Memphis) and now rents most of it to Anthropic and Google; also the sponsor of Terafab, a planned owned fab.

Latest signals

  • TSMC capacity is fully sold out and makes two-thirds of chips that matterPeter H. Diamandis
  • Judge allows NAACP lawsuit against xAI over data center pollution to proceedTechCrunch
  • SpaceX targets November 2026 for Starship Flight 15Interesting Engineering

2938 signals name SpaceX.

Facts, with sources

  • >500mPayload
  • 1000+ employeesPayload
  • SPCX became public through an IPO in June 2026Payload

1396 facts on file.

United Launch Alliance →

Centennial, Colorado, United States · Space · Launch / Heavy & medium · Established · ulalaunch.com

United Launch Alliance provides orbital launch services on Atlas V and Vulcan rockets for U.S. national-security, NASA, commercial and satellite-constellation customers.

Space 100 · rank 38 · score 77

Scores, Space (of 10)

Deployment9
Production6
Commercials8
Progress9
Technology6
Positioning8
Firepower8
Leverage8

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

United Launch Alliance (a Boeing-Lockheed JV) is targeting 18-22 launches in 2026 (versus 6 in 2025, a chronic cadence shortfall) as it ramps its NSSL-certified Vulcan alongside remaining Atlas 5 flights, with ~6 Vulcans in storage and doubled Cape processing capacity. It is structurally sold out for years on a 26-mission NSSL slate, 38 Vulcan launches for Amazon Leo (the largest commercial launch agreement), and Starliner and ViaSat-3 missions, but squeezed between SpaceX economics and Blue Origin ambitions. The current revenue figure is dated (~$1.3-1.5B class, no filing).

Latest signals

  • United Launch Alliance announced a mid-November 2026 return to flight for Vulcan.Spaceflight Now
  • United Launch Alliance scheduled Vulcan’s return to flight for mid-November 2026.Spaceflight Now
  • Estes launched a new ULA Vulcan model rocket.Space.com

137 signals name United Launch Alliance.

Facts, with sources

  • Vulcan has not flown since a February solid-booster anomaly; no return-to-flight dateSpaceNews; signals 3b49ca4b, 90f1e1bd
  • BE-4 engine problem may affect Vulcan rocketSpaceNews
  • Mark Peller named chief executiveSpaceNews

99 facts on file.

More comparisons

Questions this page answers

SpaceX or United Launch Alliance: which is ahead in space?

SpaceX ranks 1 on the Space 100 with a score of 100; United Launch Alliance ranks 38 with 77. SpaceX is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, progress, technology, positioning, firepower and leverage. SpaceX is based in Starbase, United States, United Launch Alliance in Centennial, United States. SpaceX: Public, founded 2002. United Launch Alliance: Established. SpaceX is named in 2938 signals and United Launch Alliance in 137.

How do SpaceX and United Launch Alliance compare?

SpaceX ranks 1 on the Space 100 with a score of 100; United Launch Alliance ranks 38 with 77. SpaceX is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, progress, technology, positioning, firepower and leverage. SpaceX is based in Starbase, United States, United Launch Alliance in Centennial, United States. SpaceX: Public, founded 2002. United Launch Alliance: Established. SpaceX is named in 2938 signals and United Launch Alliance in 137. Both company files carry the scores on eight measures, the facts with sources and the latest signals.

Every comparison here comes from the same files members use every day.

Members see every signal and fact behind both companies, the live ranking, the questions the signals answer and the week explained. $99 a month, 7-day trial. What Frontier Tech Intelligence is →

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