Space Force Expands Launch Capabilities with Addition of Two New Service Providers
Fueling the Launch Race: Space Force Invites Blue Origin and Stoke Space to the Dance
The U.S. Space Force is steering its Space Systems Command towards a more competitive market for small satellite launches. The new players on the dance floor - Blue Origin and Stoke Space - have just received the green light to compete for contracts under the Orbital Services Program-4 (OSP-4).
The OSP-4 Waltz: Fast-Paced Cinderellas and Small Payloads
OSP-4 is here to make things sizzle in the satellite launching world by supporting quick-turnaround missions and small payloads. Launch contracts under this program are awarded 12-24 months in advance, and the smallest payload they can groove with starts at 400 pounds. Remember the Space Force's breathtaking "VICTUS NOX" mission, which whizzed a satellite from a warehouse to orbit in a mere five days last year? That's what we're talking about here.
As of now, there's a baker's dozen of companies busting moves for OSP-4: Blue Origin, Stoke Space, ABL Space Systems, Aevum, Astra, Firefly Aerospace, Northrop Grumman, Relativity Space, Rocket Lab, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (ULA), and X-Bow. One previous partner, Virgin Orbit subsidiary VOX Space, opted to hang up their dancing shoes.
The Score So Far: Seven Tickets Punched
Seven OSP-4 launch tickets have been handed out so far: three to Northrop Grumman and one each to Firefly Aerospace, Astra Space, Rocket Lab, and VOX Space. The program, with a dancing budget capped at $986 million for an estimated 20 spins around the dance floor, needs to draw to a close by October 2028.
The Crown Jewels: SpaceX and ULA, Still Owning the Ballroom
SpaceX and ULA remain the big guns in the dance of launching, combining their talents both in OSP-4 and larger National Security Space Launch programs. ULA reigned as the undisputed champion for years in national security launches, but SpaceX has shaken things up, accounting for a whopping 90% of U.S. launches in 2023.
Up-and-Comers: ABL Space Systems, Relativity Space, and X-Bow, Trying to Catch Up
Meanwhile, other companies like ABL Space Systems, Relativity Space, and X-Bow are still brushing up on their steps. Some are yet to dance with a military satellite, while others have yet to even step onto the dance floor with their spacecraft.
Newblood: Blue Origin and Stoke Space, Ready to Sashay In
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin already has a sneaky spot in NSSL Phase 3 and is eagerly awaiting the unveil of its New Glenn rocket, an upgraded, more voluptuous sibling of its New Shepard rockets, by September. On the other hand, Stoke Space, with its new rocket engine just test-fired and Nova rocket still in the works, recently lured retired Lt. Gen. John E. Shaw, former deputy commander of U.S. Space Command, to waltz in as a new board member in April.
The Sway of Competition: Increased Competition to Bring Down Prices
Space Force officials see increased competition as the key to getting rock-bottom prices for launches. Their strategy involves splitting the National Security Space Launch programs into two "lanes:" Lane 1 to embrace a higher tolerance for risk, and Lane 2 for no-fail missions.
When the big reveal of contracts for Lane 1 took place in June, Blue Origin won a trophy alongside SpaceX and ULA. This opening of the door for new competitors in OSP-4 presents a tantalizing glimpse into what's to come for NSSL, which could eventually invite other players to join the program.
"Since many companies are still ironing out their launch capabilities, this year's batch of competitors is small," said Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, program executive officer for assured access to space, in a statement. "We expect the competition and diversity to increase as more providers and systems complete development."
A Promising Future for Start-ups: Astra and Rocket Lab, Ready to Take the Lead
Space Force officials see programs like OSP-4 as a breeding ground for promising start-ups like Astra and Rocket Lab, who are set to take the stage for their performances in the coming years. Rocket Lab is also scheduled to launch a satellite for the next act in the "VICTUS" series, "VICTUS HAZE," though that contract, awarded through the Defense Innovation Unit, isn't part of OSP-4.
The Space Force continues to dance with the trend of commercial partnerships for national security missions as they strive to navigate the evolving threats facing and the need for resilience in a contested space environment.
- The U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command is focusing on a more competitive market for small satellite launches, inviting new players such as Blue Origin and Stoke Space to join the Orbital Services Program-4 (OSP-4).
- The OSP-4 is designed to accelerate the satellite launching world by supporting swift missions and small payloads, with the smallest payload starting at 400 pounds.
- Besides BlueOrigin and Stoke Space, other companies vying for OSP-4 contracts include ABL Space Systems, Aevum, Astra, Firefly Aerospace, Northrop Grumman, Relativity Space, Rocket Lab, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (ULA), and X-Bow.
- The Space Force seeks increased competition as a means to attain lower costs for launches, and their strategy involves dividing the National Security Space Launch programs into two 'lanes': one with higher risk tolerance and another for fail-proof missions.
- Start-ups like Astra and Rocket Lab are considered promising entrants in the OSP-4 program, with the aim to demonstrate their abilities and potentially contribute to the ongoing trend of commercial partnerships for national security missions in the search for resilience in a contested space environment.
