The Department of Defense has chosen Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and Boeing-Lockheed joint venture United Launch Alliance (ULA) to compete for national security space missions under a $5.6 billion award program.
Among the seven companies that bid for entry into the program, these three companies were selected to participate in the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 procurement program. This program is a major competition among U.S. rocket companies to launch sensitive military and intelligence satellites into space over the next decade.
SpaceX and ULA have been the primary rocket launch providers for the Pentagon since 2020 under the Phase 2 program. However, in Phase 3, the Pentagon aims to include a wider range of companies to stimulate competition in the U.S. launch sector.
Bezos’ Blue Origin will now compete with SpaceX and ULA in this lucrative space mission program, bringing its New Glenn rocket into the mix to challenge SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and ULA’s upcoming Vulcan rocket.
The Pentagon’s Phase 3 program is divided into two categories: Lane 1 and Lane 2. Lane 1 allows more specialized rockets to fly missions with less-stringent requirements, while Lane 2 will tap into rockets capable of meeting a wider variety of national security mission requirements.
While Blue Origin received $5 million for an assessment of its launch capabilities, SpaceX and ULA each received $1.5 million. Lane 2 awards are expected in the autumn, with more experienced players like SpaceX and ULA likely to be selected.
Overall, this selection marks a significant step in the evolution of the U.S. space launch industry, with a focus on enhancing competition and innovation in the field.
By Joey Roulette
