READY FOR REUSE: LAUNCH PROGRAM LEVERAGING RECYCLED ROCKETS.

• Author: Mayfield, Mandy

The Space Force hit a new milestone in June when it launched a national security payload into space on a reused rocket for the first time.

The service's Space and Missile Systems Center--in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office--is managing the National Security Space Launch program, which enables the acquisition of launch services aimed at ensuring continued access to space for critical missions.

Through the program, the service has assigned seven national security space launches to United Launch Alliance--a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing--and SpaceX under phase 2 procurement contracts, said Col. Douglas Pentecost, deputy director of enterprise corps-launch at SMC.

In March, the service awarded ULA and SpaceX four of the contracts for missions scheduled for 2023.

ULA received approximately $224 million for two missions, USSF-112 and USSF-87, and SpaceX was awarded $159 million for USSF-36 and NROL-69.

In August 2020, both companies were awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite delivery requirement contracts for the program.

Through the agreements, ULA is slated to receive a requirements contract for approximately 60 percent of launch service orders and SpaceX will receive a requirements contract for approximately 40 percent of launch service orders.

Concurrent with the August 2020 award, the service ordered the first three missions assigned under phase 2. ULA was assigned USSF-51 and USSF-106, which are scheduled for launch in the second quarter of fiscal year 2022 and fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022, respectively. SpaceX was assigned USSF-67, which is scheduled for launch in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022.

In June 2021, the Space Force successfully launched the fifth GPS III Space Vehicle onboard a previously flown SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle, a first for national security space launch missions.

The Space Force has "collaborated extensively with industry since 2016 to develop standards for launch vehicle reuse," Pentecost told National Defense in an email.

The contract for the launch contains no restrictions on previously flown boosters, he said. "The USSF worked with SpaceX to accelerate the use of previously-flown boosters."

Prior to the June mission and the subsequent GPS III-6 mission--which was slated to launch in the third quarter of 2021--SMC reviewed over 440 changes to the booster and 380 verification steps to gain insight into SpaceX's rocket refurbishment processes, Pentecost noted.

The...