{"id":17191,"date":"2024-06-13T18:27:44","date_gmt":"2024-06-13T10:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/blue-origin-joins-spacex-and-ula-on-pentagon-list-for-5-6b-in-launch-contracts\/"},"modified":"2024-06-13T18:27:44","modified_gmt":"2024-06-13T10:27:44","slug":"blue-origin-joins-spacex-and-ula-on-pentagon-list-for-5-6b-in-launch-contracts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/blue-origin-joins-spacex-and-ula-on-pentagon-list-for-5-6b-in-launch-contracts\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Origin joins SpaceX and ULA on Pentagon list for $5.6B in launch contracts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Illustration:
An artist\u2019s conception shows Blue Origin\u2019s New Glenn rocket on the rise. (Blue Origin Illustration)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Department of Defense has put Kent, Wash.-based Blue Origin in the running for a share of up to $5.6 billion in national security space launch contracts, marking a first for Jeff Bezos\u2019 space venture.<\/p>\n

The decision means Blue Origin\u2019s orbital-class New Glenn rocket is now eligible to be selected for the Pentagon\u2019s most sensitive launches, joining rockets offered by SpaceX and United Launch Alliance.<\/p>\n

The ordering period for what\u2019s known as the Phase 3 Lane 1 procurement process runs through mid-2029, with an optional five-year extension. \u201cThis award is the result of a competitive acquisition, and seven offers were received,\u201d the Department of Defense said in today\u2019s contract award announcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re honored by the opportunity to compete for these National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 missions with New Glenn,\u201d a Blue Origin spokesperson told GeekWire in an email.<\/p>\n

Blue Origin\u2019s New Glenn rocket, named after the late NASA astronaut John Glenn, is still under development at the company\u2019s facilities in Florida. New Glenn\u2019s first launch is currently set for no earlier than September. It\u2019s expected to send a pair of robotic probes to study Mars\u2019 magnetosphere for NASA\u2019s EscaPADE mission.<\/p>\n

The amounts going to each of the three launch providers in the Phase 3 Lane 1 program will be determined by the task orders that go out for specific launches over the next five years. In a news release, the U.S. Space Force\u2019s Space Systems Command said it was releasing requests for proposals relating to two task orders so far \u2014 one that would cover seven launches for the Space Development Agency, and another for the National Reconnaissance Office.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny launch provider on the base IDIQ [indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity] contract can bid for launch service task orders provided they have completed a successful orbital launch prior to the proposal due date,\u201d the Space Systems Command said.<\/p>\n

The Phase 3 program also sets aside funding for each of the providers to conduct an initial capabilities assessment and explain how they\u2019ll approach the Pentagon\u2019s requirements for mission assurance. As a new provider, Blue Origin will receive $5 million, while SpaceX and ULA \u2014 which have already been conducting national security launches \u2014 will receive $1.5 million each.<\/p>\n

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