The SPACEX FALCON heavy rocket with the NASA psyche is launched from the Kennedy space center in NASA in Florida on October 13, 2023.
Credit: Chandan Hannah/AFP through Getty images
The issues of issue announced on Friday are the second batch of NSSL Phase 3 missions, which Space Force awarded SpaceX and ULA.
It is important to remember that these prices are not that ULA or SpaceX is charged from a commercial customer -satellite. The US government pays a prize for access to space. Space forces, the National Office of Intelligence Manuals and NASA do not insure their launches, as the commercial client did. Instead, state institutions have a greater understanding of their contractors to launch, including checks, flight data, risk assessment and security verification. Government missions also usually get priority in the ULA and SpaceX schedule. All this is more of money.
Heavy burden
According to Lieutenant Colonel Kristina Stuart, of four of five launches awarded to SpaceX on Friday, they will use the large rocket of Falcon Heavy Rocket. One will fly on the SpaceX Falcon 9 work horse. This is the first time that most annual Space Force orders require the opportunity to rise Falcon Heavy, with three Falcon 9 booster cores to collect large useful loads into space.
All versions of the ULA Vulcan missile are used by one core-improviser, with a different number of solid rocket engines to provide additional traction from the launch pad.
Here are the breakdown of seven new missions assigned to SpaceX and ULA:
• USSF-149: Classified payload on SpaceX Falcon 9 from Florida
• USSF-63: Classified payload on SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Florida
• USSF-155: Classified payload SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Florida
• USSF-205: SPACEX Falcon Heavy from Florida
• NROL-86: Classified payload on SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Florida
• USSF-88: GPS IIIF-4 navigation satellite on ULA Vulcan VC2 (two solid missile amplifier) from Florida
• NROL-88: Classified payload on ULA Vulcan VC4S (four solid missile boosters) from Florida
