WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Drive assigned SpaceX 5 of seven nationwide safety missions budgeted in fiscal 12 months 2026, persevering with the corporate’s dominant streak within the Pentagon’s most crucial launch program. United Launch Alliance (ULA) will fly the remaining two missions, whereas Blue Origin — whose New Glenn rocket shouldn’t be but licensed — must wait till not less than fiscal 12 months 2027 for its first task, the House Techniques Command introduced Oct. 3.
These awards mark the second spherical of launch assignments beneath the Nationwide Safety House Launch (NSSL) Section 3 Lane 2 contract, which covers the House Drive’s most demanding missions by fiscal 12 months 2029.
SpaceX’s newly assigned missions embrace USSF-206, carrying the twelfth Wideband World Satcom (WGS) communications satellite tv for pc constructed by Boeing, together with three labeled House Drive payloads — USSF-155, USSF-149, and USSF-63 — plus NROL-86 for the Nationwide Reconnaissance Workplace. The 5 missions have a mixed worth of $714 million, in response to House Techniques Command.
ULA, in the meantime, secured USSF-88, which can carry the fourth GPS III Observe-on (GPS IIIF) satellite tv for pc, and NROL-88, one other reconnaissance payload. The 2 launches are valued at $428 million.
This follows the first spherical of awards for fiscal 2025 introduced in April, when SpaceX received seven of 9 missions value $845.8 million, whereas ULA acquired two valued at $427.6 million.
Blue Origin ready for certification
Blue Origin joined SpaceX and ULA as certainly one of three suppliers chosen for NSSL Section 3 Lane 2 in April 2025 however didn’t obtain any missions this 12 months. The corporate’s New Glenn rocket has not but accomplished its certification course of for nationwide safety launches. Its subsequent flight — a NASA Mars mission anticipated later this fall — is meant to advance that effort.
“No missions had been assigned to the third supplier, Blue Origin, which has its subsequent alternative for a mission in FY27,” House Techniques Command stated in an announcement.
Multi-year contract framework
The NSSL Section 3 program is budgeted at $13.7 billion for about 54 missions between fiscal years 2025 and 2029. Launch assignments are anticipated to happen between fiscal years 2027 and 2032, offering roughly two years of lead time for mission integration.
Section 3 launched a dual-lane contracting technique. Lane 1 is designed for much less complicated, commercial-style missions aimed toward fostering competitors and onboarding new entrants. Lane 2, the place these newest assignments fall, covers high-priority, high-reliability nationwide safety launches.
Beneath the Lane 2 framework, SpaceX serves because the Requirement 1 supplier, anticipated to obtain round 60% of missions (about 28 complete). ULA is the Requirement 2 supplier, with roughly 19 missions anticipated. Blue Origin, as Requirement 3, is eligible for as much as seven missions.
