US Space Force Gives IDR 1.2 Trillion Contracts To 4 Space Companies

SpaceX rocket gets contract from US Space Force. (photo; spacex)

JAKARTA – The US Space Force's Space Systems Command awarded SpaceX, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, and ULA rocket testing contracts worth a total of US$ 87.5 million (RFp1.2 trillion).

This multi-million dollar rocket test contract will specifically help project prototypes of the next generation of rockets for commercial use.

Not to mention that the effort also deals with other additional enhancements to the spacecraft's resilience, according to Yahoo News.

What's more, the projects that will be carried out by the four space companies under the SSC Space Systems Command for Fiscal Year 2021, are part of the National Security Space Launch or SSL program in collaboration with the United States Department of Defense Space Development and Consortium. Corps Space Company or SpEC.

According to Tesmanian, the US Space Force awarded Elon Musk's space exploration company SpaceX a $14.47 million contract for the development of the Raptor Starship engine.

The Space Force further announced that the contract between SpaceX will work on various rocket testing projects, namely "Liquid Methane Specification Development and Testing," Combustion Stability Analysis and Testing," and "Raptor Rapid Throttling and Restart Testing."

SpaceX lauds the Starship rocket as the most powerful of its kind because of its Raptor engine, which can lift heavy cargo weighing up to 100 tons from Earth into orbit.

Meanwhile, SpaceX's rival space company, Blue Origin, also bagged a rocket testing contract from the US Space Force worth US$24.35 million.

Billionaire space exploration company and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will work on the management of the second stage cryogenic liquid of the New Glenn rocket.

The Blue Origin website notes that the New Glenn rocket is named after one of the pioneering astronauts, John Glenn.

The spacecraft is a single configuration vehicle that can lift people and cargo in heavy loads.

In addition, the US Space Force also awarded two multi-million dollar contracts to Rocket Lab and the United Launch Alliance or ULA for rocket testing efforts.

Rocket Lab won a $24.35 million contract for the top-stage development of the Neutron rocket.

The US Space Force also gives ULA the same amount as Rocket Lab. However, the former will work at the top level of Centaur, specifically on uplink controls and commands. This project will be used for the Vulcan rocket from ULA.

Previously, NASA also awarded Blue Origin, SpaceX--among other companies to design lunar lander systems under the Artemis mission.