First new national security launch awards go to SpaceX
The U.S. Space Force on Friday announced the first two task orders under a revamped five-year program that awards national security missions. Both went to SpaceX.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX, longtime national security provider United Launch Alliance and newcomer Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, were all eligible to compete for the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 task orders, having been chosen in June out of seven bids to provide launch services for the Department of Defense.
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Any one of the providers is allowed to compete for task orders once opened up by the Space Force as long as it has made a successful orbital launch prior to the proposal’s due date.
Phase 1 and Phase 2 doled out mission orders to just SpaceX and ULA. Phase 3’s approach is to break up contracts into two lanes.
Lane 1 is actually supposed to be the new method that opens up NSSL missions to newer launch providers, with the likes of Firefly Aerospace, Rocket Lab and Relativity Space potentially entering the fray someday, but for now, SpaceX landed the first two contracts worth more than $733.5 million that will require nine launches.
Seven will be for the Space Development Agency (SDA) while two will be for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), with the missions targeting late 2025 and 2026 for launch.
Lane 1 of the NSSL program is designed for payloads that are more “risk-tolerant” in the event of a launch issue, while Lane 2, the contracts for which have yet to be announced, will be for the most “risk-averse” payloads.
“In this era of great power competition, it is imperative to not leave capability on the ground,” said Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, program executive officer for Assured Access to Space in a press release. “The Phase 3 Lane 1 construct allows us to execute launch services more quickly for the more risk-tolerant payloads, putting more capabilities on orbit faster in order to support national security.”
While SpaceX landed the first two of what is expected to be at least 30 mission orders worth more than $5.6 billion over the next five years in Lane 1, Space Systems Command’s Lt. Col. Douglas Downs applauds the program and expects more players at the table soon.
“Industry stepped up to the plate and delivered on this competition. Our innovative dual-lane strategy is enabling a streamlined process from mission acquisition to launch, getting our assets on orbit for our warfighters’ benefit more quickly,” Downs said.
