A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, carrying NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, lifts off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on October 13, 2023.
Credit:
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
The launch contracts disclosed on Friday represent the second collection of NSSL Phase 3 operations that the Space Force has entrusted to SpaceX and ULA.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that these fees do not reflect what ULA or SpaceX would charge a commercial satellite client. The U.S. government incurs additional costs for access to space. The Space Force, the National Reconnaissance Office, and NASA do not insure their launches like a commercial client would. Rather, government entities have greater visibility into their launch providers, including evaluations, flight performance analyses, risk evaluations, and security audits. Government missions usually take precedence on the launch calendars of ULA and SpaceX. All these factors contribute to increased expenses.
A significant responsibility
According to Lt. Col. Kristina Stewart at Space Systems Command, four out of the five launches awarded to SpaceX on Friday will utilize the Falcon Heavy rocket, while one will utilize SpaceX’s standard Falcon 9. This marks the inaugural occasion where a majority of the Space Force’s yearly launch requests have necessitated the lifting capability of a Falcon Heavy, employing three Falcon 9 booster cores to transport heavier payloads to orbit.
All iterations of ULA’s Vulcan rocket operate with a single core booster, supplemented by varying quantities of strap-on solid fuel motors to enhance thrust during liftoff.
Here is an overview of the seven new tasks assigned to SpaceX and ULA:
• USSF-149: Classified cargo aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Florida
• USSF-63: Classified cargo aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Florida
• USSF-155: Classified cargo aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Florida
• USSF-205: WGS-12 communications satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Florida
• NROL-86: Classified cargo aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Florida
• USSF-88: GPS IIIF-4 navigation satellite aboard a ULA Vulcan VC2S (two solid rocket boosters) from Florida
• NROL-88: Classified cargo aboard a ULA Vulcan VC4S (four solid rocket boosters) from Florida
