What Happened
Huge Increase in Funding for Less Complex Launches
The Space Force has tripled the contract ceiling for its National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 program to $17 billion, covering an additional 110 launches over the next decade. The move is in response to growing demand for critical space capabilities, with the total number of expected missions rising to 170. The contract, which has a five-year base plus a five-year option, allows vendors to compete for individual launch task orders. So far, SpaceX has secured the majority of task orders, with Blue Origin winning its first order in May. The development was first reported by Breaking Defense.