Pentagon Seeks More Rocket-Launch Companies as It Plans New Missions
U.S. Space Force looks to spread business beyond SpaceX, United Launch Alliance A United Launch Alliance rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station last month. Photo: Paul Hennessy/Zuma Press By Micah Maidenberg July 20, 2023 10:00 am ET The Pentagon wants more ways to get to orbit. Space Force officials said they plan to hire a broader range of rocket-launch providers for around 90 planned missions over a five-year period. The shift would further spread the agency’s business beyond SpaceX and United Launch Alliance, the leading players for military launches, and stoke competition among providers. Many of the coming flights would task rocket companies with lofting classified spy satellites or sending payloads deeper into space, even to an area closer to the moon.
A United Launch Alliance rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station last month.
Photo: Paul Hennessy/Zuma Press
The Pentagon wants more ways to get to orbit.
Space Force officials said they plan to hire a broader range of rocket-launch providers for around 90 planned missions over a five-year period. The shift would further spread the agency’s business beyond SpaceX and United Launch Alliance, the leading players for military launches, and stoke competition among providers.
Many of the coming flights would task rocket companies with lofting classified spy satellites or sending payloads deeper into space, even to an area closer to the moon. Other missions would be relatively easier launches to orbits near Earth.
SpaceX is the leading U.S.-based launcher, with a fleet and launch pace that some executives and space-industry analysts said have helped the Elon Musk -led company hold a virtual monopoly in the business.
The company has grown as competing rocket operators have faced technical challenges getting their new rockets stacked up on launchpads and into the air. Some smaller launchers have dealt with explosions and failed missions.
Right now, only SpaceX and ULA conduct orbital launches for the U.S. military under what is called the National Security Space Launch contract.
Such flights can come with significant price tags. Three years ago, for example, the Space Force said it would pay ULA $337 million for two missions under that contract, and pay SpaceX $316 million for a launch.
Under the next phase of the launch contract, the Space Force said it would hire three providers to handle more difficult launches. The winning bidders will have more guarantees about the number of missions they will get to fly.
Officials originally planned to hire two launchers for the more challenging flights but said they added a third as a further backup. “Maybe one of the two has a grounding event and can’t fly,” Space Force Col. Douglas Pentecost
said Wednesday. “We just wanted to protect ourselves.”About two-thirds of the planned launches would be spread across the three launchers. The main winner would conduct roughly 30 missions, with the other two providers taking on 20 and seven, respectively. The remainder would be bid out one at a time or in blocks to all providers.
Launch companies that are developing vehicles will be able to compete for missions as their rockets become available.
Peter Beck, chief executive of Rocket Lab USA, has said the California-based company wants to win missions under the next phase of the launch contract using Neutron, the larger rocket it has been working on. “We look forward to making Neutron available to meet the national security needs,” he told investors in March.
In addition to SpaceX and ULA, other companies expected to compete for missions include
Jeff Bezos ’ Blue Origin.Write to Micah Maidenberg at [email protected]
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