Three aerospace giants secure $13.7 billion Pentagon deal for high-risk military payload launches

The US Department of Defense has awarded a total of $13.7 billion in launch service contracts to SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (ULA), and Blue Origin. This initiative is designed to strengthen the Pentagon’s access to space for its most sensitive and high-risk missions, including those involving secure communications and missile warning systems.

This is the first time that three companies will share responsibility for launching high-priority military and intelligence payloads, Caliber.Az reports via the website covering space news. 

Announced on April 4 by the US Space Force’s Space Systems Command, these contracts are part of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 2 procurement. 

SpaceX was awarded the largest portion of the contracts, with $5.9 billion in anticipated awards. ULA secured nearly $5.4 billion, while Blue Origin was allocated approximately $2.4 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, the three companies are expected to conduct a total of 54 launches between fiscal years 2025 and 2029. Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations for the US Space Force, emphasised the strategic importance of the contracts.

“This is a strategic investment in assured access to space,” he said. “A robust and resilient space launch architecture is the foundation of both our economic prosperity and our national security.”

Out of the 54 planned launches, SpaceX is expected to handle 28 missions, roughly 60 per cent of the total. ULA will conduct 19 missions, or around 35 per cent, while Blue Origin, which has only flown its New Glenn rocket once and is still awaiting certification, will be responsible for seven missions starting in the programme’s second year, contingent on the rocket's certification. 

The Phase 3 Lane 2 portion of the NSSL program focuses on the most complex launches to high-energy orbits, with increased mission assurance requirements. This makes it the most demanding category of national security space assignments. Missions under the new contracts are expected to occur between fiscal years 2027 and 2032, with launches typically assigned two years in advance of their scheduled dates.

By Naila Huseynova