Tag: NSSL
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Space Force NSSL Ceiling Hits $30B After Lane 1 Triple
Is $30 Billion Enough for the Space Force’s Launch Appetite? The US Space Force tripled the ceiling on its National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 contract to $17 billion on Friday, July 18, 2026 — pushing the combined maximum value of NSSL Phase 3 past $30 billion when added to the Lane 2…
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GAO Puts $9.5B Missile-Warning Satellite Under Scrutiny
Does the GAO’s 2026 Space Force Report Signal a Defense Space Acquisition Crisis? The Government Accountability Office has put a $9.5 billion price tag on the Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared geosynchronous constellation — and that number is still growing. The GAO’s annual assessment of major defense acquisition programs, released July 2, reviewed 13 Space…
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ULA set to ramp up Vulcan launches and national security missions with USSF-106
United Launch Alliance (ULA) is starting launch processing for its long-awaited national security launch debut after investigating an issue that affected Vulcan’s second mission — a mission required for certification to fly national security missions. ULA will also start flying other Vulcan configurations than the VC2S, which includes two solid rocket boosters (SRBs) and a…
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Space Force says first national security Vulcan launch now anticipated in spring 2025
United Launch Alliance (ULA) hoists its Vulcan first stage booster into the Vertical Integration Facility-G (VIF-G) adjacent to Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The rocket will launch the USSF-106 mission for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command, Vulcan’s first national security flight. Image: United Launch Alliance The first national…
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‘Cleanest first flight,’ ULA president reflects on inaugural Vulcan launch and future of program
The inaugural Vulcan rocket, powered by two Blue Origin-built BE-4 engines, lifts off from SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Jan. 8, 2024. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now United Launch Alliance entered an important new era for the company with the debut of its Vulcan rocket in early January. The flight was one that…
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Capitol Hill budget battle may limit initial funding of some National Security Space Launch missions
A ULA Vulcan rocket during a testing campaign (left) and a Falcon Heavy rocket at liftoff (right). Both launch vehicles were tapped to launch National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions during the fifth and final ordering year procurement by the U.S. Space Systems Command. Images: ULA, SpaceX The U.S. Space Systems Command revealed the details…
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Space Force releases NSSL phase three second draft
The United States Space Force (USSF) recently released a second draft of a request for proposals (RFP) for the forthcoming phase three of the national security space launch (NSSL) program. Phase three will cover launch orders over a five-year period starting in October 2024 — the start of fiscal year (FY) 2025 — and has…
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ULA’s penultimate Delta IV Heavy launches NROL-68 mission
United Launch Alliance’s penultimate Delta IV Heavy rocket took flight on the NROL-68 mission Thursday, lofting a secretive payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. Liftoff, from Space Launch Complex 37B at Cape Canaveral, is expected at 05:18 AM EDT (10:18 UTC). The mission was set to launch on Wednesday before ULA scrubbed the attempt due…
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ULA, SpaceX split military launch contract awards
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated March 12 with additional details on launch sites and vehicle configurations. Artist’s illustration of a Vulcan Centaur launch. Credit: United Launch Alliance The U.S. Space Force announced Tuesday that it awarded $384 million in contracts to United Launch Alliance and SpaceX, giving each company two missions to launch military satellites in 2023. United…
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Northrop Grumman ends OmegA rocket program
Artist’s illustration of the OmegA rocket. Credit: Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman says it will not continue development of the OmegA rocket after the U.S. Space Force last month picked United Launch Alliance and SpaceX as the military’s two top launch contractors over the next seven years. A company spokesperson said Sept. 9 that Northrop Grumman…