The US Space Force has awarded $13.7 billion in contracts to SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (ULA), and Blue Origin, selecting them to deliver vital military satellites into orbit. This decision marks a significant shift in military space launch capabilities, transitioning from ULA's dominance to a more competitive landscape. The awarded contracts will include launches of large national security satellites and are part of an ongoing plan that sees SpaceX gaining a substantial share of military launches since being allowed to compete in 2015, subsequently reshaping the space launch market.
The US Space Force announced Friday it selected SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and Blue Origin for $13.7 billion in contracts to deliver the Pentagon's most critical military to orbit into the early 2030s.
These missions will launch the government's heaviest national security satellites, like the National Reconnaissance Office's large bus-sized spy platforms, and deploy them into bespoke orbits.
After racking up a series of successful launches with its Falcon 9 rocket more than a decade ago, SpaceX sued the Air Force for the right to compete with ULA for the military's most lucrative launch contracts.
ULA's Vulcan and SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets will launch the remaining 42 Phase 2 missions over the next several years, then move on to Phase 3, which the Space Force announced.
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