space x
The US military recently released a rather prosaic document titled “National Security Space Launch Phase 3 DRAFT Request for Proposals #1”. It may be a mouthful of jargon, but it’s still a pretty important document. In effect, its release will serve as the springboard for the next launch contracts for US spy satellites, secure communications satellites and more.
There are piles of money at stake. A launch contract worth billions of dollars (effectively more than his $10 billion) is in dispute as the military seeks to secure his late 2020s to early 2030s launch contract. The document itself is fairly bland, but in a follow-up conference call with reporters, the two U.S. colonels overseeing the space acquisition, Douglas Pentecost and Chad Melone, provided a wealth of information.
hang on! This may sound terribly boring, but it really isn’t. Based on the documents and this one-hour call of his, we can get a good idea of where the US military thinks the US launch industry is headed. This is important because, in many cases, military-offered contracts can make or break a launch company. For example, Northrop his Grumman ended its efforts to develop the Omega rocket after the last round of bidding for a national security launch closed.
Below are some of the conclusions we can draw from this new information.
Full-fledged commercialization at last
The U.S. military has long lagged behind in supporting the U.S. commercial launch industry.
For example, NASA awarded SpaceX its first contract in 2006, and the money helped develop the Falcon 9 rocket that is now the cornerstone of the US launch industry. In 2012, even though SpaceX had already flown four successful Falcon 9s, the military signed an exclusive bulk purchase deal with United Launch Alliance. The Pentagon is stuck with its monopoly.
The decision seemed pretty silly as the Falcon 9 continued to fly and was priced well below United Launch Alliance. So a few years later the program was changed to allow SpaceX to win some of these military contracts.
However, the overall process remained limited. In the latest round of launch contract awards known as Phase 2, the military only awarded his two winners. And bidders had to meet a series of very strict and difficult criteria, all but the largest launch companies were left out. Ultimately, the military chose United Launch Alliance and SpaceX. Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman were told to try again later.
Phase 3 of the National Security Space Launch Program appears to have finally recognized the booming U.S. commercial launch industry, and the Space Systems Command is making significant changes to accommodate more companies. The we. For bidders he created two lanes. The first is a low-cost mission, open to a large number of newcomers. The second lane is for the most difficult missions. That means heavier, more valuable payloads heading for more difficult-to-reach orbits. These are higher value missions and rockets need to be certified to higher standards.
What is Lane 1?
Pentecost said about 30 “Lane 1” missions will be awarded over the five-year period from 2025 to 2029. Even if a rocket explodes and a satellite is lost, military operations will not be greatly affected.
The goal is to provide an opportunity for companies developing new medium rockets to participate in the competition. These include Rocket Lab (which uses Neutron rockets), Relativity Space (which uses Terran R vehicles), and ABL Space (which the vehicles have not been named or announced), Pentecost said. Companies with larger rockets such as United Launch Alliance, SpaceX and Blue Origin are also eligible to compete in lane 1. There could be many potential providers. Pentecost said he signed up for “Industry Day” on Feb. 28 to discuss the opportunity with 27 companies.
Stage 1 of Relativity SpaceX’s Terran 1 rocket undergoes testing at Launch Complex-16 in Florida.
space of relativity
These companies with medium-sized launchers don’t have to go through a rigorous, paper-heavy process and don’t need to be “certified” to compete. However, to be eligible for the launch contract, he must fly at least one mission in orbit where the payload is headed. “One launch requirement is to make sure you’re not giving a contract to a paper rocket,” Melone said.
The opening of Lane 1 to wider competition suggests that the U.S. military is truly embarking on embracing the commercial launch market. “Several factors have strongly influenced our strategy, most notably the growing commercial launch market,” he said.
