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takyon writes:

SpaceX just sold the US Air Force the cheapest enormous rocket it's ever bought

SpaceX has won its first contract to launch a classified military satellite on its Falcon Heavy rocket, beating out rival United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

The launch contract will cost the US Air Force $130 million, far less than the $350 million average cost of United Launch Alliance's Delta IV, previously the heaviest lifter in the US arsenal. SpaceX's disruptive business model has proven itself in the national security arena, where it has won five previous contracts since its rockets were certified to fly military missions.

The US Air Force decision signals confidence in the engineering behind the new rocket, which consists of three modified Falcon 9 cores strapped together and flew for the first time in February 2018 after seven years of development and testing.

Also at Ars Technica and Space News.

Original Submission

1. "takyon" - https://soylentnews.org/~takyon/
2. "SpaceX just sold the US Air Force the cheapest enormous rocket it's ever bought" - https://qz.com/1311779/spacex-sold-the-us-air-force-a-falcon-heavy/
3. "flew for the first time in February 2018" - https://qz.com/1199063/photos-elon-musks-falcon-heavy-rocket-takes-flight/
4. "Ars Technica" - https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/06/air-force-certifies-falcon-heavy-orders-satellite-launch-for-2020/
5. "Space News" - http://spacenews.com/spacex-wins-130-million-military-launch-contract-for-falcon-heavy/
6. "Original Submission" - https://soylentnews.org/submit.pl?op=viewsub&subid=27467

printed from SoylentNews, U.S. Air Force Certifies Falcon Heavy, Awards SpaceX $130 Million Contract for 2020 Launch on 2024-04-28 17:49:14