Mary-Louise Hoffman
The Defense Department could issue a certification for Space Exploration Technologies to compete for military satellite launch programs by Dec. 1, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
Doug Cameron writes SpaceX will get the chance to pursue work to launch satellites for DoD once the company’s Falcon 9 rocket is approved.
Boeing and Lockheed Martin‘s joint venture United Launch Alliance has been the sole provider of U.S. military launch services since 2006, according to WSJ.
“I’m rooting for SpaceX to come into the competition,” Gen. John Hyten, head of Air Force Space Command, told an audience at a Washington industry conference Tuesday.
Cameron reports DoD officials have indicated that SpaceX can submit bids while the company is awaiting a formal clearance from the agency for its rocket.
The U.S. Air Force kicked off a competition earlier this year for its planned satellite launch in 2016, according to the newspaper.
