US Space Force gets no bids for three launches, Politico reports
SpaceX declined to offer its services, Politico reports, while a Space Force official describes temporary capacity constraints as rocket demand grows.
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SpaceX declined to offer its services, Politico reports, while a Space Force official describes temporary capacity constraints as rocket demand grows.
The US Space Force sought launch services for three future satellite missions, but SpaceX declined to offer its services and no other rocket company submitted an offer, Politico reported in an account relayed by Ars Technica on October 23.
The missions were listed through the National Security Space Launch initiative, which procures military launches. The unsuccessful attempt comes as SpaceX has been declining new launch contracts for customers of various kinds, Ars reported.
Two of the missions are for the Space Development Agency, a branch of the Space Force. The agency is building a network of hundreds of military satellites in low-Earth orbit—relatively close to Earth—to expand data services and provide missile-warning and tracking capabilities. Launch services are needed to put those satellites into orbit.
Brig. Gen. Eric Zarybnisky, the Space Force’s acting portfolio acquisition executive, described growing pains for government and industry as demand for rockets increases.
“Temporarily, there are some things we’ll need to work through, again, as we get new providers flying,”
Other potential providers, United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin, are working through setbacks with their rockets, Ars reported. Zarybnisky expressed optimism that both companies would resolve their technical problems and that new competitors would begin flying in time. Securing launch services remains the unresolved step for the three missions.
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