Naomi Cooper
The U.S. Space Force is planning to broaden its network of commercial launch service providers beyond SpaceX and United Launch Alliance to support multiple planned missions over five years, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
The service branch will add a third provider to handle more difficult launch missions under the third phase of its National Security Space Launch contract vehicle to ensure launch capacity and enable backup services.
SpaceX and ULA provide launch services for U.S. military customers under the current NSSL contract awarded in August 2020.
For the NSSL Phase 3, three providers will split roughly two-thirds of the planned 90 missions. Thirty missions will be assigned to the primary winner, 20 to the second launch services provider and seven to the third vendor.
The Space Force is implementing a “dual-lane” acquisition strategy for NSSL Phase 3 to utilize a diverse group of commercially available launch systems and services.
Lane 1 will be a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with task orders for launch services that can be competed on an annual basis.
Lane 2 will be firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contracts for launch services, mission unique services, special studies, fleet surveillance and early integration studies.
