SPACEX wants a bigger piece of the satellite pie. The company says it is against the US air force for the right to compete for military launch contracts.
Most of the recent US air force contracts have already been awarded on a sole-source basis to United Launch Alliance (ULA), which is a joint venture between aerospace giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin. 鈥淲e鈥檙e protesting and saying these launches should be competed,鈥� SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said in a press conference on 25 April.
SpaceX has launched private satellites and NASA cargo on its Falcon 9 rocket. The firm is seeking certification for military launches, which Musk says they could provide cheaply. He also pointed out that ULA鈥檚 rockets use Russian parts, which may prove problematic as tensions escalate over the situation in Ukraine.
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