According to a report on July 29, the U.S. Space Force announced in a statement that SpaceX has secured a $1.6 billion contract to carry out 18 Falcon 9 rocket launches by the end of 2027. These missions will send American satellites designed to detect and track airborne targets into orbit.
Eric Zarybnisky, the U.S. Space Force’s procurement officer, noted that the contract awarded to SpaceX is part of an “unprecedented two-month procurement cycle.”
Back in May, the U.S. Space Force also granted SpaceX a massive $6.5 billion contract, which included $4.16 billion for an airborne moving target indicator satellite network and $2.29 billion for military communications satellites.
SpaceX has consistently maintained a competitive edge in Pentagon commercial contracts. While some U.S. lawmakers worry about the Defense Department’s potential over-reliance on a single supplier, Space Force officials say they aim to stimulate domestic space industry activity and competition.