The most recent missions carrying payloads for the U.S. Area Power (USSF) and the Nationwide Reconnaissance Workplace (NRO) had been introduced on Friday with a mixed worth of $1.142 billion. SpaceX was tasked with 5 missions and United Launch Alliance (ULA) obtained two.
That is the second order 12 months (OY2) for the Nationwide Safety Area Launch (NSSL) Section 3 Lane 2 contract, which was awarded to Blue Origin, SpaceX and ULA. Again in April, USSF’s Area Techniques Command introduced the trio because the recipients of this half of the Section 3 Acquisition Technique.
SpaceX was named because the Requirement 1 supplier and is anticipated to obtain 28 missions between FY25 and FY29. ULA because the Requirement 2 supplier will obtain 19 missions.
Blue Origin, because the Requirement 3 supplier, was projected to obtain seven Section 3 Lane 2 missions starting in OY2. Nonetheless, since it’s nonetheless within the means of certifying its New Glenn rocket to fulfill nationwide safety wants, Blue Origin was not awarded any missions this go round.
It should capable of make its case for assignments granted in fiscal 12 months 2027 (FY27). The second launch up to now of a New Glenn rocket is anticipated in both late October or early November.
“Area is the last word excessive floor, crucial for our nationwide safety. With this 12 months’s NSSL Section 3 Lane 2 mission assignments, we proceed to guarantee entry to that prime floor,” stated Col. Eric Zarybnisky, program govt officer for Assured Entry to Area. “Delivering belongings to the warfighter is our final mission, and we depend on our sturdy government-industry partnerships incorporating fixed teamwork, open communication and the best ranges of technical acumen to efficiently obtain that aim.”
Assured Entry to Area (AATS) is a Program Government Workplace inside the united states’s Area Techniques Command and is accountable for procuring launch providers and on-orbit capabilities. Listed below are the missions introduced, that are scheduled to begin launching no sooner than FY27:
- USSF-206/WGS-12
- USSF-155
- NROL-86
- USSF-149
- USSF-63
- NROL-88
- USSF-88/GPS IIIF-4
The primary 5 of these might be launched by SpaceX for a complete value of $714 million with the final two launching with ULA for a mixed whole value of $428 million. The entire missions introduced will fly from the Japanese Vary.
Following the announcement on Friday, Lt. Col. Kristina Stewart, SSC materiel chief for NSSL Integration Division, stated that almost all of SpaceX’s missions will use a Falcon Heavy rocket.
“All assigned SpaceX missions in OY2 require a Falcon Heavy, aside from USSF-149, which requires a Falcon 9,” Stewart stated in an announcement.
ULA will use its Vulcan rocket to launch its two missions, although the precise configuration of these two haven’t been introduced but.
What’s launching?
Unsurprisingly, nearly all of the missions launching have payloads which are deliberately shrouded in secrecy. These embrace USSF-63, -149, -155 in addition to NROL-86 and -88.
The united states-206 mission has the first payload of the Wideband World SATCOM (WGS) satellite tv for pc. This would be the twelfth within the collection of geostationary orbit satellites.
In March 2024, Boeing obtained a $439.6 million contract to construct this satellite tv for pc. The WGS-11 satellite tv for pc was slated to launch on a ULA Vulcan rocket in 2025, however a selected date hasn’t been introduced.
“We’re proud to be a mission accomplice and are able to proceed offering protected tactical communications to the warfighter,” stated Michelle Parker, vp of Area Mission Techniques in March 2024. “Like WGS-11, the twelfth WGS satellite tv for pc will present crucial capabilities to our navy with over 1,500 individually steerable, shapeable beams within the Ka band, guaranteeing tactical forces have resilient communications.”
The opposite recognized payload presently is the GPS III Observe-on (GPS IIIF) satellite tv for pc flying on the U.S.-88 mission. That is the fourth on this latest collection of GPS satellites being manufactured by Lockheed Martin.
Again in 2018, the U.S. Air Power introduced a $7.2 billion contract with Lockheed Martin to construct 22 GPS IIIF satellites.
