WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force has awarded SpaceX two launch task orders valued at $1.6 billion under the expanded National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 program, Space Systems Command (SSC) announced today.
NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 serves as the Space Force’s vehicle for procuring commercial-style launches to accessible orbits, missions with lighter payloads, or those without absolute “must-go” requirements. Under this indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, pre-qualified vendors compete for individual launch task orders.
This award marks the first task order issued since the service’s July 17 announcement raising the contract ceiling by $5.6 billion — bringing the total to $17 billion — to accommodate an increase in planned Lane 1 missions from 60 to 170 between 2025 and 2034.
The two new task orders cover 2027 launches for an undisclosed number of satellites supporting the service’s Space Based Sensing and Targeting (SBST) portfolio acquisition executive (PAE) office. SSC did not respond to inquiries regarding the specific types or quantities of satellites involved.
A primary responsibility of the SBST PAE is managing the Space Force’s new Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator (SB-AMTI) program. These satellites are designed to complement the Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail, developed to replace the aging E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System fleet. The shift to space-based capabilities is viewed by the Department of the Air Force as essential due to increasingly sophisticated anti-access/area-denial threats posed by potential adversaries.
On May 29, the PAE announced a $4.16 billion task order to SpaceX to accelerate the SB-AMTI program, noting additional orders will follow. SpaceX is one of nine firms selected to compete for these orders under an Other Transaction Authority contract vehicle. The service has not disclosed the overall contract value or identified the other participating companies.
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