Outside of its agreement with United Launch Alliance – the multi-billion dollar agreement – the US Air Force released the first up to eight solicitations for space launch services. The solicitation was posted on Federal Business Opportunities on Tuesday and is the perhaps the first noticeable commercial outreach for launch services in a long time.
The National Reconnaissance Office which is responsible for the nation’s spy satellites needs a rocket to put a classified satellite into orbit by 2016.
SpaceX sued the Air Force in protest of its latest sole-source launch contract which had an $11 billion award for 36 boosters.
The Air Force and United Launch Alliance claim that SpaceX missed its chance when it did not protest the arrangement when it was first made in 2012. Ironically, while the Air Force and SpaceX continue to face each other in court, they are also cooperating to help SpaceX get certified to be competent enough for future US military contracts. By Tuesday the Air Force reported that Space X had completed three consecutive successful launches of its falcon 9 rocket.
General William Shelton, head of Air Force Space Command said that the Air Force has 136 assigned to the certification process and was willing to spend about $100 million in the effort.
Congress is in the process of considering bills ranging from $25 million to $250 million to weigh options and begin work on a new rocket regime. However the Obama administration is reluctant towards the idea and estimates that the engine would cost $4.5 billion.
Alan Estevez, who oversees Department of Defense acquisition told legislators that even optimistically it could take eight years to have a new engine developed and tested. According to Shelton, the Air Force will end its relationship with the United Launch Alliance by the start of the year 2018. Space X plans to introduce a new heavy lift falcon rocket next year, then the company will have rockets at least technically capable of handling most of the military’s launch requirements.
John Taylor, SpaceX spokesman encouraged opening up more National Security Space missions to competitions.
