The U.S. Space Force revealed the victorious bids for forthcoming missions, with SpaceX emerging as the prominent winner.
Space Systems Command granted seven National Security Space Launch agreements the previous week. SpaceX secured five of these missions for a total of $714 million. United Launch Alliance obtained the remaining two, valued at $428 million. Blue Origin was not eligible this time, as its New Glenn rocket still requires authorization for national security launches. They will have another opportunity in 2027.
The missions encompass 54 scheduled launches planned between 2027 and 2032.
SpaceX is tasked with launching the 12th Wideband Global Satcom mission, designed to enhance the U.S. government’s array of worldwide, high-bandwidth communications, according to Payload. ULA will launch the fourth GPS III follow-on mission, aimed at improving the Department of Defense’s GPS capabilities.
Each company will also launch a single reconnaissance satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office, to highly energetic orbits.
SSC stated in April that SpaceX should anticipate contracts totaling $5.9 billion under the NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 program. ULA should expect contracts valued at $5.4 billion. Blue Origin could anticipate launching as many as seven missions for $2.3 billion, contingent upon receiving certification.
New Glenn is slated to launch NASA’s ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) mission to Mars this coming fall.
ULA served as the primary launch provider for national security missions until SpaceX entered the scene and successfully launched numerous payloads in recent years, reported Gizmodo. Blue Origin is a more recent competitor for these contracts.
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