SpaceX now eligible to compete for GPS launches

[Darren]

The Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX has received U.S. Air Force certification which means it can now compete for the launch of U.S. national security satellites including GPS.

This certification will bring an end to the monopoly that the United Launch Alliance has so far enjoyed for military launches and it is hoped the competition will drive down launch costs and reduce the bill to U.S. tax payers.

United Launch Alliance was formed by the merger of Lockheed and Boeing's rocket divisions and its Atlas 5 rockets have been responsible for the launch of GPS satellites for the past decade.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 has the capacity to launch GPS satellites and their Falcon Heavy, which will be subject to independent certification, will allow SpaceX to compete for the launch of the heaviest military satellites.

Source: www.af.mil

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Darren Griffin

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