The US Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) is set to enhance its missile warning and missile tracking capability through nine National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 launch missions.
SSC is the US Space Force’s field command responsible for acquiring, developing, and delivering competent capabilities against emerging threats in, from, and to space.
This command manages a $15.6bn annual space acquisition budget for the Department of War, working with joint forces, industry partners, government agencies, academia, and allied nations.
The recent task order awards are intended to provide launches for the Space Development Agency (SDA) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
The SDA-2 task order covers two launches for a total of eighteen Tranche 2 Tracking Layer Space Vehicles built by L3Harris.
It also includes one launch for eight Fire-control On Orbit-support-to-the-war Fighter (F2) Space Vehicles built by Millennium Space Systems.
F2 is an 8-vehicle low-earth-orbit (LEO) demonstration satellite constellation designed to offer advanced missile defence capabilities against challenging targets.
The SDA-3 task order is said to provide two launches for eighteen Tranche 2 Tracking Layer SVs by Lockheed Martin, while the NTO-5 task order supports an NRO mission set.
SSC awarded the SDA-2, SDA-3 and NTO-5 launch missions to SpaceX, for a total of $739 million.
The SDA-2, SDA-3 mission launches are expected to start in the fourth quarter of FY26 and third quarter of FY27, respectively. The NTO-5 launch mission is expected in first quarter of FY27 and second quarter of FY28.
USSF system program director for Launch Acquisition, Colonel Matt Flahive, said: “Our mission to deliver national defence capabilities to the joint force is achieved with each task order we award.
“The task orders awarded in support of our mission partners, SDA and NRO, demonstrate the importance we have placed on being time efficient and cost conscious in our Phase 3 Lane 1 approach to reliably deliver space capability to the warfighter quicker and at the best value to the American taxpayer.”
