The US Space Force has awarded SpaceX , led by Elon Musk , five of seven critical military launch missions for the upcoming fiscal year, totaling $714 million. The contracts are said to reinforce SpaceX’s dominance in Pentagon space contracts, despite recent public tensions between Musk and President Donald Trump. United Launch Alliance (ULA) secured the remaining two missions for $428 million.
The contracts fall under the National Security Space Launch Program (NSSL), which previously selected SpaceX, ULA, and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin for 54 missions worth $13.5 billion, scheduled between 2027 and 2032. “Space is the ultimate high ground, critical for our national security,” said Col Eric Zarybnisky of the U.S. Space Systems Command, per Air & Space Forces.
“Delivering assets to the warfighter is our ultimate mission, and we rely on strong government-industry partnerships to achieve that goal.” SpaceX’s missions include launching a communication satellite, three classified payloads, and a reconnaissance satellite, with launches expected in 2027 due to the Space Force’s two-year advance planning. Meanwhile, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, a competitor to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, remains uncertified for NSSL missions and was not assigned any launches for this cycle. Blue Origin’s next chance for a mission is in fiscal year 2027, though its upcoming NASA Mars mission—delayed from 2024 and potentially launching by month’s end—could advance its certification prospects.
The awards highlight SpaceX’s lead in national security space launches, while Blue Origin continues to push for a stronger foothold in the competitive space race.
The contracts fall under the National Security Space Launch Program (NSSL), which previously selected SpaceX, ULA, and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin for 54 missions worth $13.5 billion, scheduled between 2027 and 2032. “Space is the ultimate high ground, critical for our national security,” said Col Eric Zarybnisky of the U.S. Space Systems Command, per Air & Space Forces.
“Delivering assets to the warfighter is our ultimate mission, and we rely on strong government-industry partnerships to achieve that goal.” SpaceX’s missions include launching a communication satellite, three classified payloads, and a reconnaissance satellite, with launches expected in 2027 due to the Space Force’s two-year advance planning. Meanwhile, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, a competitor to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, remains uncertified for NSSL missions and was not assigned any launches for this cycle. Blue Origin’s next chance for a mission is in fiscal year 2027, though its upcoming NASA Mars mission—delayed from 2024 and potentially launching by month’s end—could advance its certification prospects.
The awards highlight SpaceX’s lead in national security space launches, while Blue Origin continues to push for a stronger foothold in the competitive space race.
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