National Security Space Launch

These remained the primary launch vehicles for U.S. military satellites, and were later joined by the Falcon 9 developed by SpaceX.

[7] The USAF began the EELV program in 1994, following many years of government-funded studies into improved systems and architecture.

EELVs were to reduce costs by being based on standardized fairings, liquid core vehicles, upper stages, and solid rocket boosters.

[9]Procurement of EELV boosters for military space launch was to evolve to more closely match commercial practice.

[10] The initial bids came from four major defense contractors: Lockheed Martin, Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and Alliant Techsystems.

Boeing developed the Delta IV based around Common Booster Cores and the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage, while Lockheed Martin developed the Atlas V based around Common Core Boosters and the Centaur upper stage.

[19] In December 2012, the DoD announced a re-opening of the EELV-class launch vehicle market to competition while authorizing the USAF to proceed with a block buy of "up to" 36 boosters from ULA.

[25][26] The USAF certified the Falcon 9 in May 2015,[27] and in 2016 SpaceX won a contract under the EELV program to launch a GPS Block III satellite payload to MEO.

The USAF and United States Space Force (USSF) plan to use the next generation NSSL launch vehicles until at least 2030.

After a two-year solicitation and competition process in 2018–2020, in August 2020 the USSF selected SpaceX (F9 and FH) and ULA's yet-to-be-certified Vulcan Centaur to supply US military launch requirements in 2022–2027.

Up to five Aerojet Rocketdyne Graphite-Epoxy Motor solid rocket boosters can be added to increase vehicle performance, and two diameters of payload fairing are available.

It has been certified for the NSSL program after the STP-2 launch completed on 25 June 2019, as confirmed by the commander of the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Lt. Gen.

This requirement has been satisfied by the Falcon Heavy test flight in February 2018, Arabsat-6A in April 2019, and the STP-2 launch in June 2019.

Blue Origin was awarded $500 million of phase 1 funding for further development of New Glenn as a potential competitor in future contracts.

In the event, no phase 2 funding from the US government was forthcoming after August 2020 when ULA Vulcan and SpaceX were selected by the Air Force.

[48] Blue Origin is considered likely to continue building and testing New Glenn, in part since they were already privately funding development prior to the Air Force NSSL competition.

[50] In the event, no phase 2 funding from the US government was forthcoming after August 2020 when ULA Vulcan and SpaceX were selected by the Air Force.

[51] ULA was awarded $967 million of phase 1 funding for further development of Vulcan Centaur as a potential competitor in future contracts.

[47] On 12 August 2019, ULA submitted Vulcan Centaur for phase 2 of the USAF's launch services competition.

Blue Origin also filed a pre-award protest of the request for proposal arguing that the requirements were ambiguous.