Air Force Col. Robert Bongiovi, director of the Launch Systems Enterprise Directorate, second from left, speaks with reporters April 11, 2019, at the 35th Space Symposium. Credit: Keith Johnson

Air Force insists launch competition must stay on schedule

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The upcoming release of the Air Force RPF for launch services was a hot topic last week at the 35th Space Symposium

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Blue Origin’s reusable New Glenn rocket is slated to make its debut in 2021. Launch customers signed to date include Eutelsat, Telesat, Sky Perfect JSAT, OneWeb and Mu Space. Credit: Blue Origin

Blue Origin urging Air Force to postpone launch competition

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Blue Origin wants the U.S. Air Force to wait until 2021 before picking the two companies it intends use for launching critical military satellites in the decade ahead.

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Kent Rominger, vice president of Northrop Grumman strategic programs, left, studies an Antares composite fairing like those Northrop Grumman will manufacture for OmegA at the company’s Iuka, Mississippi, facility. Credit: Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems

For OmegA, U.S. Air Force launch competition is a must-win

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The stakes could not be higher for OmegA as it prepares for two critical static-fire tests of its solid rocket motors this year with the goal to launch its first payload in 2021.

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Clockwise from left: SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, ULA's Vulcan Centaur, Northrop Grumman's OmegA and Blue Origin's New Glenn rockets are all in the running to compete for a block of launch contracts the U.S. Air Force intends to divide between two providers during phase 2 of the Launch Service Agreements (LSA) program. Credit: SpaceX / ULA / Northrop Grumman / Blue Origin

Air Force space launch competition caught in political crossfire

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While Blue Origin is asking for a delay in the LSP decision, ULA is said to be fiercely opposed.

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Blue Origin’s reusable New Glenn rocket is slated to make its debut in 2021. Launch customers signed to date include Eutelsat, Telesat, Sky Perfect JSAT, OneWeb and Mu Space. Credit: Blue Origin

Air Force poised to release final solicitation notice for national security space launch

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The Launch Service Procurement would be the first competition under the National Security Space Launch program.

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An Atlas 5 launched successfully Friday morning carrying a US Navy communications satellite. Credit: ULA

EELV is no more. It is now ‘National Security Space Launch’

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The 2019 National Defense Authorization Act directed the name change effective March 1.

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Air Force launch procurement under scrutiny

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Lawmakers are calling for an independent review of the Air Force Launch Service Agreement contracts and its strategy to acquire launch services in the coming years. Why?

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Clockwise from left: SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, ULA's Vulcan Centaur, Northrop Grumman's OmegA and Blue Origin's New Glenn rockets are all in the running to compete for a block of launch contracts the U.S. Air Force intends to divide between two providers during phase 2 of the Launch Service Agreements (LSA) program. Credit: SpaceX / ULA / Northrop Grumman / Blue Origin

Military launch poised for new era as Air Force prepares to move beyond EELV

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The U.S. Air Force is moving into the next chapter of military space launch — competitive procurement of launch services from a wider field of commercial vendors with entirely U.S.-made rockets.

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An artist's concept of Orbital ATK's OmegA rocket in flight.

Air Force funding three new rockets to compete with SpaceX but only intends to buy launch services from two providers

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Phase 2 of the Launch Service Agreement will be an open competition. All there winners have to compete - or they would have to return their development funds back to the government. SpaceX presumably would bid as well.

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The U.S. Air Force selected ULA, Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems to receive hundreds of millions of dollars apiece to develop new launch vehicles for launching national security payloads Credit: SpaceNews graphic

Air Force awards launch vehicle development contracts to Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, ULA

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The U.S. Air Force announced on Wednesday it is awarding three contracts collectively worth about $2 billion to Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems and United Launch Alliance to develop launch system prototypes.

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Northrop Grumman Completes First Live Motor Cast for OmegA Rocket_1

Northrop Grumman confident Air Force will continue to fund the company’s new rocket

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Whoever signs up for one of two certification flights for the Omega rocket, will get a ride “at a reduced rate."

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OmegA, the rocket formerly known as Next Generation Launch system, is Orbital ATK's answer to intermediate and heavy-lift launchers in the works at ULA, SpaceX and Blue Origin. Credit: Orbital ATK

Orbital ATK selects Aerojet Rocketdyne’s RL10C for newly christened OmegA rocket

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Orbital ATK on Monday revealed new details about the rocket it has been developing over the last three years in an effort to take U.S. Air Force launch contracts away from United Launch Alliance and SpaceX.

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