The new contract gives industry competitors SpaceX and United Launch Alliance responsibility for three satellite launches apiece, with SpaceX receiving a $297 million fixed-price contract and ULA, $441.76 million. An Air Force statement released Tuesday (Feb. 20) said the contracts support the Space and Missile Center's mandate to provide "resilient and affordable space capabilities to our nation, while maintaining assured access to space." The contract comes only a week after the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General said it is investigating whether the Air Force properly certified SpaceX's Falcon line for national security launches in 2015. ULA plans a replacement BE-4 rocket engine that it is developing with Blue Origin, the space company founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos. One of SpaceX's reference customers is NASA -- for whom SpaceX launches cargo and soon, astronauts to the International Space Station.

Source: Forbes February 20, 2019 20:28 UTC