Private space company Space Exploration Technologies Corporation or SpaceX was certified by the U.S. Air Force for the Falcon 9 rocket to launch U.S. military and even spy satellites.
SpaceX could possibly become a game changer in national security related space missions in the U.S. since military satellite launches were monopolized by United Launch Alliance which is a joint endeavor by Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
To date, SpaceX already possesses mutli billion dollar contracts with NASA for launching cargo resupply ships to the the International Space Station and eventually crewed space taxis as well to the orbiting space lab.
CEO and founder Elon Musk thanked the Air Force for its confidence where the space agency is looking forward to serving the country. He also adds that this is a pivotal step in delivering competition regarding national security space launches.
For years, SpaceX has been adamantly pushing its bid to play a crucial role in launching military satellites where the company even went to court in order for the Air Force to consider certification.
On May 26, Tuesday, the Air Force finally announced that the military is confident enough to allow their national security satellites to be launched safely via Falcon 9 rockets.
According to Air Force Secretary Deborah James, SpaceX's presence as a commercial launch provider is now crucial for military launch services where they will compete for the first time in almost 10 years.
SpaceX's first opportunity to make a bid for a military launch is slated for June where the Air Force will conduct an open bidding contract in order to launch military GPS satellites.
To date, all recent U.S. military launches were carried out by United Launch Alliance with the Atlas 5 rocket where it is equipped with Russian engines. Now, U.S. Congress has decided that those engines are not suitable for launches beyond 2019 for national security reasons.
James also revealed that this move can ultimately drive costs down where the commercial space market and the taxpayer's money will both benefit from this including improving the military's resiliency.
SpaceX claims that it can place government and military satellites into lower Earth orbit for less that US $100 million every launch as opposed to the $160 million launch cost of the Lockheed Martin venture.