Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

Thanks to CTOnews.com netizen Jiayi for your clue delivery! On November 2, the US Space Force said it had assigned 21 rocket launches to SpaceX and the United launch Alliance (ULA), with a total contract value of about $2.5 billion.

This is the last order for the second phase of the National Security Space launch Program (NSSL). On Tuesday, the US space force announced its mission assignment plan. According to Colonel DougPentecost, deputy executive officer of the US Space Force Space Systems Command program, the last batch of tasks were distributed almost evenly. ULA won 11 launches worth $1.3 billion, while SpaceX won 10 launches worth $1.23 billion.

The Space Systems Command says these missions are scheduled to be launched within the next two to three years. ULA, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, will use the upcoming Vulcan rocket for the 11 missions, while SpaceX will use the Falcon 9 rocket for seven missions and the Falcon heavy rocket for three missions.

In 2020, the US space force identified SpaceX and ULA, two launch service providers, and subsequently continued to expand the size of the second phase of the NSSL mission.

Initially, 34 launches were planned in the second phase, 60 per cent of which were handed over to ULA,40% and SpaceX.

The US space force has since increased the number of second-phase launches according to demand, and has so far assigned 48 missions. In the end, the distribution of tasks in the second phase was close to the average, in which SpaceX won 22 launch mission contracts and ULA won 26 mission contracts, with a share of 46% to 54%.

The US space force has assigned more launch missions to SpaceX than previously expected "based on the government's assessment of readiness", Puntercoste said in a statement.

"once ULA is ready, we must quickly deliver critical space capabilities, which cannot be left on the ground," he said.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Falcon heavy rocket have been put into use and have been certified for launch, while ULA's Vulcan rocket has not yet entered orbit and has not been certified by the US Space Force.

The final missions of the second phase are preparations for the further expansion of the NSSL program by the US space force in the third phase. This year, the U. S. space force has launched a new round of programs to buy about 90 missions.

Puntercoste's department will soon begin reviewing the company's bids for the third phase of the mission, and the results are expected to be released in October.

Welcome to subscribe "Shulou Technology Information " to get latest news, interesting things and hot topics in the IT industry, and controls the hottest and latest Internet news, technology news and IT industry trends.