Pentagon taps SpaceX for $5.9B launch deal
The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, a $5.92 billion contract to provide national security launch services through 2033.
According to a Department of Defense release, the firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contract supports the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 2 program. The agreement includes a range of services beyond launch operations—such as mission acceleration, anomaly resolution, fleet surveillance, early integration studies, and mission-specific analyses.
Work under the contract will be carried out across several key locations, including SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California, as well as launch facilities at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The effort is scheduled to continue through April 2033.
The Space Systems Command at Los Angeles Air Force Base, which oversees the NSSL program, said the award followed a competitive procurement process that drew four bidders.
The command also confirmed that fiscal year 2025 funds totaling $75.9 million will be obligated immediately to support launch service support and fleet surveillance requirements during the first year of the contract.
SpaceX, which has become a central player in both commercial and defense-related space efforts, continues to support a range of missions critical to U.S. national security, including satellite deployments, intelligence platforms, and experimental payloads.
Lane 2 of the NSSL Phase 3 program is intended for missions requiring higher performance and complex mission integration—an area where SpaceX’s Falcon and upcoming Starship systems are expected to play a leading role.
