Author Topic: USAF EELV/NSSL Phase 2 Launch Service Procurement (Winners Announced)  (Read 160341 times)

I don't suppose anyone has seen news about the announcement date other than the "this summer" statement from June, which if still true should mean sometime this month.

I certainly haven't. I get a bit annoyed sometimes because this is going to be perhaps the biggest space news of this year (... ok, well maybe second after the Dragon flight) because the contracts that come out of this will determine the future of the entire launch market for the next decade or so, and it keeps getting delayed.

But then I remember that, setting aside the global pandemic for a moment, this competition was transferred mid-judging to a totally new military branch that doesn't even know what their enlisted ranks will be called yet. It's hard to imagine that this could've been made any more difficult.
Wait, ∆V? This site will accept the ∆ symbol? How many times have I written out the word "delta" for no reason?

Offline SpaceDave

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https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2305454/

Edit to add by FST:

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United Launch Services LLC, Centennial, Colorado, has been awarded task orders for $337,000,000 for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 contract. The NSSL Phase 2 contract is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contract for launch service procurements supporting launches planned between fiscal 2022 through fiscal 2027. This launch service contract includes early integration studies, launch service support, fleet surveillance, launch vehicle production, mission integration, mission launch operations, mission assurance, spaceflight worthiness, and mission unique activities for each mission. Work will be performed in Centennial, Colorado; Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida; and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and is expected to be completed March 2028. Future launch services and launch service support will be placed annually on subsequent task orders, and will be publically announced upon issuance. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition, and four offers were received. Fiscal 2020 space procurement funds in the amount of $337,000,000 will be obligated in the first order year for launch service and launch service support task orders to United Launch Services. Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA8811-20-D-0001).

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Hawthorne, California, has been awarded task orders for $316,000,000 for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 contract. The NSSL Phase 2 contract is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contract for launch service procurements supporting launches planned between fiscal 2022 through fiscal 2027. This launch service contract includes early integration studies, launch service support, fleet surveillance, launch vehicle production, mission integration, mission launch operations, mission assurance, spaceflight worthiness, and mission unique activities for each mission. Work will be performed in Hawthorne, California; Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida; and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and is expected to be completed March 2028. Future launch services and launch service support will be placed annually on subsequent task orders, and will be publically announced upon issuance. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition, and four offers were received. Fiscal 2020 space procurement funds in the amount of $316,000,000 will be obligated in the first order year for launch service and launch service support task orders to Space Exploration Technologies Corp. Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA2211-20-D-0002).
« Last Edit: 08/07/2020 09:16 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1291844256777285632

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BREAKING: The U.S. Air Force awards ULA and SpaceX with billions in 5 years of national security launch contracts, with the companies beating out Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman in the highly competitive NSSL Phase 2 program.

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1291844853907755012

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ULA will fly 60% of the NSSL missions, with SpaceX launching the remaining 40%.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/07/spacex-and-ula-win-2022-pentagon-rocket-launch-contracts.html
« Last Edit: 08/07/2020 09:18 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline yokem55

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The 60/40 split isn't mentioned in the press release. Is that stated elsewhere?

Offline lonestriker

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The 60/40 split isn't mentioned in the press release. Is that stated elsewhere?

ULA 60, SpaceX 40.  Surprsing absolutely no one:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=48797.msg1978540#msg1978540


Offline sdsds

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Wow. ULA = $337 million; SpaceX = $316 million. ULA gets 51.61% of the funding to perform 60% of the launches.
— 𝐬𝐝𝐒𝐝𝐬 —

Offline yokem55

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The 60/40 split isn't mentioned in the press release. Is that stated elsewhere?

ULA 60, SpaceX 40.  Surprsing absolutely no one:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=48797.msg1978540#msg1978540

Yes, that was very precient speculation, but I'm not seeing that ratio actually stated in the award press release. Eric Berger and Thomas Burghart are both stating that is the actual award on Twitter, but I'm not seeing the evidence of it.
« Last Edit: 08/07/2020 09:29 pm by yokem55 »

Offline AndrewRG10

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Wow. ULA = $337 million; SpaceX = $316 million. ULA gets 51.61% of the funding to perform 60% of the launches.

SpaceX has gotta build a VIF and equipment to make bigger fairings. And speculating here but FH flights will expend centre core making them slightly more expensive than the Vulcan equivalent for GEO missions.

Offline gongora

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https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2305576/space-force-awards-national-security-space-launch-phase-2-launch-service-contra/

Concurrent with this announcement, the SMC Launch Enterprise, in collaboration with the NRO, will order the first three missions assigned under Phase 2. ULA has been assigned USSF-51 and USSF-106 scheduled for launch in the second quarter fiscal year 2022 and fourth quarter fiscal year 2022, respectively. SpaceX has been assigned USSF-67, scheduled for launch in fourth quarter fiscal year 2022. Future launch services will be placed on subsequent Task Orders by mission and will be publicly announced upon issuance. Task orders for the launch service support and launch service contracts will be issued to ULA for $337 million and SpaceX for $316 million for launch services to meet fiscal year 2022 launch dates.

Offline ChrisWilson68

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Wow. ULA = $337 million; SpaceX = $316 million. ULA gets 51.61% of the funding to perform 60% of the launches.

The 60%/40% split is over a five year period.  The $337 million/$316 million is for the first year of the contract.

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1291847878697254912

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Will Roper, of the Air Force, says the Air Force expects to launch 30-34 rockets over a five year period from 2022-2026. Emphasizes that industry needs to be flexible in being able to accommodate more or fewer missions.

So about 18 - 20 missions for ULA, 12 - 14 for SpaceX.

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1291852094119514112

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I've reached out to Northrop Grumman and Blue Origin for comment on the NSSL Phase 2 results.

Notably, CEO Bob Smith told me that Blue Origin will absolutely continue to develop New Glenn even if it lost NSSL Phase 2.

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1291853962971361288

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Northrop Grumman: "We are disappointed by this decision. We are confident we submitted a strong proposal that reflected our extensive space launch experience and provided value to our customer..." cnbc.com/2020/08/07/spa…
« Last Edit: 08/07/2020 09:51 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline gongora

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Can't remember if I ever posted the most recent SAR (Selected Acquisition Report) for NSSL.

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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https://twitter.com/senshelby/status/1291856450302746630

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Proud that @SpaceForceDOD has chosen an Alabama-made rocket to support our national security in space. Congratulations to everyone at @ulalaunch that has worked on the #VulcanCentaur. This award will help ensure we continue to lead in space.

Offline lonestriker

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twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1291852094119514112

Quote
I've reached out to Northrop Grumman and Blue Origin for comment on the NSSL Phase 2 results.

Notably, CEO Bob Smith told me that Blue Origin will absolutely continue to develop New Glenn even if it lost NSSL Phase 2.

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1291853962971361288


Must be why Bezos sold $3B worth of stock recently; anticipating this loss. (only sort of sarcastic)

Offline gongora

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Blue was never seriously in this competition

Offline ChrisWilson68

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Blue was never seriously in this competition

If Blue Origin wasn't seriously in the competition, why did they file a pre-award protest?  It seems to me they were very serious about it and fought hard to win it.  The fact that ULA's bid uses Blue Origin-built engines would seem to give a lot of credibility to Blue Origin's ability to build products reliable enough to trust the most valuable national security payloads to.

Offline Helodriver

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What are the odds this is end of the line for OmegA? does it have enough commercial viability to finish development and enter the market?

Offline ugordan

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Blue was never seriously in this competition

If Blue Origin wasn't seriously in the competition, why did they file a pre-award protest?  It seems to me they were very serious about it and fought hard to win it.

They were, but it doesn't mean they had a realistic chance of winning. You'd have been hard-pressed to find someone who didn't expect ULA to win. Then, USSF would want dissimiliar redundancy for their 2nd provider. Blue supplies the same engine for Vulcan as it does for New Glenn so dissimilar redundancy is out the window.

The fact that ULA's bid uses Blue Origin-built engines would seem to give a lot of credibility to Blue Origin's ability to build products reliable enough to trust the most valuable national security payloads to.

It's also likely a significant factor against Blue being selected, as per above, and that's neglecting the fact they have yet to reach orbit.

Offline gongora

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What are the odds this is end of the line for OmegA? does it have enough commercial viability to finish development and enter the market?

NG flat out said they didn't care about the commercial market

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