The U.S. Space Systems Command has officially allocated the first set of missions under the Phase 3 Lane 2 National Security Space Launch (NSSL) contracts, granting SpaceX the lion’s share with seven launches valued at $845.8 million, while United Launch Alliance (ULA) secured two missions totaling $427.6 million.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in February 2024 launched six satellites for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Space Development Agency (SDA). Credit: SpaceX
These assignments mark the fiscal year 2025 portion of the Pentagon’s ambitious five-year launch plan announced on April 4, which will see roughly 54 national security space missions—worth an estimated $13.7 billion—divvied up among three major aerospace players: SpaceX, ULA, and Blue Origin. The full program is scheduled to run through fiscal year 2029.
SpaceX’s newly awarded launches include three high-priority missions for the National Reconnaissance Office (NROL-96, NROL-97, NROL-157) and four U.S. Space Force missions (USSF-186, USSF-234, USSF-174, and USSF-15/GPS IIIF).
ULA will conduct two critical launches for the U.S. Space Force: USSF-50/NGG-2, which will place the second Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared GEO missile-warning satellite into orbit, and USSF-49/GPS IIIF-2, the second GPS III Follow-on satellite launch.
Notably, insiders revealed that the original plan had been to distribute the nine FY2025 missions more evenly—five for SpaceX and four for ULA. However, delays in the certification of ULA’s West Coast launch site at Vandenberg Space Force Base forced a shift. As a result, two missions initially earmarked for ULA (NROL-96 and NROL-157) were reassigned to SpaceX. The site in question is still undergoing construction and upgrades to support ULA’s new Vulcan rocket.
Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, who oversees assured access to space, confirmed during an April 8 media call that Vulcan’s West Coast pad has not yet been certified for launch operations.
Meanwhile, Blue Origin, the third company selected under the NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 framework, has not been assigned any missions for FY2025. Its first opportunity to compete for and secure a mission will come in fiscal year 2026, according to the Space Systems Command.
The Phase 3 contract structure is part of the Department of Defense’s broader strategy to ensure long-term, assured access to space. By maintaining multiple certified launch providers and encouraging industry competition, the Pentagon aims to boost innovation, control costs, and safeguard the nation’s most sensitive satellite assets.
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