Air Force Picks Diverse Launch Providers for National Security Mission

With the announcement of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 awards, the Air Force (Space Force) has chosen three providers to deliver launch services for the 2025-29 timeframe. The rockets that will perform these missions will likely be Blue Origin's New Glenn (under development), United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Atlas V and Vulcan and SpaceX's Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and perhaps Starship (under development). These rockets are are and will be well prepared to deliver payloads to the cosmos but this diversity in launch providers did not always exist.

Enter EELV

The EELV program has its roots in two previous programs: the Advanced Launch System (ALS) and its successor, the National Launch System (NLS). These two programs called for a family of launch vehicles to carry payloads for both the Air Force and NASA. Congress terminated the programs in the FY93 appropriations budget after they failed to achieve promised cost savings.

To replace these programs, the U.S. Air Force started the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV ) program. The EELV program used a competitive selection process in its early stages. In 1995, multiple companies including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman received contracts for concept development. Lockheed Martin and Boeing ultimately won the contracts to design and build the EELV launch vehicles in 1996. Their merger in 2007 formed ULA, which became the sole provider of EELV rockets for the Air Force. However, SpaceX's Falcon 9 achieved military launch certification in 2015, introducing competition.

In 2019, the EELV program's name was changed to the National Security Space Launch Program. The name change reflected the fact that reusable rockets are also a part of the program and acknowledged the growing commercial launch industry. Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy are both reusable and certified to fly government payloads.

NSSL Phase 3 has two lanes. Lane 1 is a proving ground for new entrants whereas lane 2 is geared for the utmost reliability to launch the most critical payloads for the military. With that being said, the choice of these three (Blue Origin, ULA and SpaceX) companies might also translate to lane 2. New Glenn, Vulcan and Starship still need to be proven; however, Atlas V, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy have already proven their reliability. The Space Force will select lane 2 this autumn.