SpaceX won an eight-launch contract worth $733 million from the US Space Force on Friday, part of an ongoing program aimed at fostering competition among launch providers.
The award includes seven launches for the Space Development Agency and one for the National Reconnaissance Office, all of which are expected to use Falcon 9s and take place no earlier than 2026.
This massive new contract is part of a U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC) program with the catchy name “National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1.” This third round of contracts was divided into two lines last year: line 1, for low-risk missions and near-Earth orbits; and Lane 2, for heavy missions and the most demanding orbits.
The Space Force selected SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and (somehow, although they’re not yet in orbit) Blue Origin to compete for launches under Track 1 earlier this summer. At the time, the Space Force acknowledged that the number of award winners was small, but that it aimed to accommodate this by allowing companies to bid on Track 1 on an annual basis. The next opportunity to join Lane 1, which has an expected total value of $5.6 billion over five years, will occur later in 2024.
In a press release announcing the contract, Lt. Col. Douglas Downs, SSC’s materiel manager for space launch procurement, said the force expects to see “increasing competition and diversity” with the capability to integrate new suppliers.
The Phase 3 Lane 1 award period runs from FY 2025 to FY 2029, with the possibility of a five-year extension. The Space Force plans to award at least 30 missions during this period. SpaceX’s victory may seem a foregone conclusion this time around, but with new launch companies and vehicles coming online in the coming years, competition could soon heat up.