SpaceX, Elon Musk’s aerospace company, has been awarded five of seven upcoming US Space Force military launch missions, reinforcing its position as a leading provider of crucial national security space operations for the next fiscal year.
Valued at $714 million, these contracts are part of the US Space Force’s National Security Space Launch Program, which secures launch services for military space missions, highlighting SpaceX’s important role in defence-related space operations.
SpaceX’s scheduled missions include launching a communications satellite, three classified payloads, and a reconnaissance satellite. These launches are planned for 2027, following the US Space Force’s standard two-year advance planning for military space operations.
The remaining two US Space Force military launch missions, valued at $428 million, were awarded to the joint venture United Launch Alliance (ULA). Previously, SpaceX, ULA, and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin were shortlisted for 54 missions worth $13.5 billion between 2027 and 2032.
Col Eric Zarybnisky of the US Space Systems Command highlighted that space is the ultimate high ground essential for national security. Delivering assets to the warfighter relies on strong government-industry partnerships to ensure timely and effective mission execution.
Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, with its New Glenn rocket competing against SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, did not secure any launches in this cycle as it awaits the necessary national security clearance for military missions.
Blue Origin’s next opportunity to bid for US military launch missions will be in fiscal year 2027. Its certification for national security launches is now closely linked to the success and timeline of its upcoming NASA Mars mission.
The awards highlight SpaceX’s lead in national security space launches, while Blue Origin continues to work on building a stronger foothold in the competitive space launch sector.
