Mary-Louise Hoffman
The U.S. Air Force has approved SpaceX‘s Falcon 9 rocket, clearing the way for the company to pursue military launch service contracts.
The military branch said Tuesday it spent more than $60 million and took almost two years to complete the certification process.
“This is an important step toward bringing competition to national security space launch,” said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
The Air Force seeks new participants in the military’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program and could soon issue a formal solicitation for a Global Positioning Satellite III launch support contract.
The branch said its rocket certification program offers a path for manufacturers to demonstrate their ability to design, build and deliver a platform to help send military satellites into orbit.
