Two More Launch Vehicles Selected for Space Force NSSL Program
Rocket Lab and Stoke Space Join Blue Origin, SpaceX and ULA
Two launch systems have been selected by the U.S. Space Force to compete be "on-ramped" into the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 contract. Rocket Lab USA, Inc. and Stoke Space, will join Blue Origin, SpaceX and ULA, who were on-ramped to Lane 1 last year. The NSSL award is a firm fixed-price, indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract, which includes an ordering period that goes through June 2029, with an option for an additional ordering period of five years.
“We are excited to bring on new launch providers to the NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 contract and I’m extremely proud of the team’s hard work on-ramping Rocket Lab and Stoke Space as soon as they were ready.”
Lt. Col. Douglas Downs, US Space Force
Rocket Lab and Stoke Space will each receive a $5 million FFP Task Order to conduct an initial capabilities assessment and develop their approach to tailored mission assurance. Tailored mission assurance is a tiered approach to the government’s breadth and depth of the launch vehicle baseline understanding and the associated risks to the mission.
“We are excited to bring on new launch providers to the NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 contract and I’m extremely proud of the team’s hard work on-ramping Rocket Lab and Stoke Space as soon as they were ready,” said Lt. Col. Douglas Downs, SSC’s materiel leader for Space Launch Procurement. “We climbed a tall mountain to execute this source selection quickly, and we’re not done yet. We look forward to on-ramping more emerging companies over the next few years as their systems become ready.”
Rocket Lab’s launch vehicle for the program will be Neutron, its 13-ton reusable carbon composite medium-lift launch vehicle being rapidly developed to meet the demand for high assurance national security missions, and for single and multi-satellite constellation deployment. Designed to deploy payloads up to 13,000 kg (≈29,000 pounds), Neutron is being brought to the market at an unprecedented development pace on the foundation of Rocket Lab’s industry leadership as one of the world’s most frequent and reliable launch providers. Neutron’s debut launch will be from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 3 in Wallops Island.
“Supporting assured access to space for the nation’s most important missions has always been the goal with our Neutron rocket, and we’re incredibly proud to selected by the U.S. Space Force to demonstrate this commitment for the NSSL," said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck. "Neutron is a powerful new launch option that will set a new standard for performance, affordability, and reliability in medium launch, and its selection to the program demonstrates a high degree of confidence by the Department of Defense in Neutron’s capabilities ahead of its first launch later this year."
The Stoke Space offering is its fully-reusable Nova rocket. Its fully reusable upper-stage vehicle is designed to provide on-demand access to any orbit at any time, which will enable dynamic space operations that include capture, reposition, long-dwell, and return-of-assets operations.
Inclusion in the program gives the participants the opportunity to compete for a total of $5.6 billion in national security launch contracts.