Assured access -can SpaceX be provider for more than one vehicle?

[50_Caliber]

If SpaceX uses it's Starship as the primary vehicle and it's F9 as a secondary vehicle, could they not be utilized by NASA as two separate launch providers? If they maintain the F9 infrastructure and have a separate team that operates them apart from the Starship, couldn't they be treated as different launch providers within the same company and thereby provide access as a primary and secondary launch provider to NASA, thereby providing assured access?

Is there anything that states explicitly that launch providers must come from another company?

[envy887]

If SpaceX uses it's Starship as the primary vehicle and it's F9 as a secondary vehicle, could they not be utilized by NASA as two separate launch providers? If they maintain the F9 infrastructure and have a separate team that operates them apart from the Starship, couldn't they be treated as different launch providers within the same company and thereby provide access as a primary and secondary launch provider to NASA, thereby providing assured access?

Is there anything that states explicitly that launch providers must come from another company?

NASA doesn't have a requirement to keep two providers.

[AC in NC]

I wish there was a way to convey the difference between questions that are topic-worthy vs. post-in-an-existing-thread-worthy.

Of course, it may be a challenge to dig down in this section and find an appropriate topic vs. the Earth- > Deep Space where there are plenty of broad-based discussion threads.  Maybe we need catch-all discussion topics that are fairly broad enough to be lively.

[markbike528cbx]

I agree with envy887 that there probably isn't a requirement for two US launch vehicles. However, this was the impetus to the formation of ULA to consolidate launch providers    (retaining two launch vehicles).

So if you can overcome the Shelby-ites, one company with two vehicles could provide dissimilar redundancy.   Good luck with that.

One of the few widely accepted lessons from the Shuttle era, is that you shouldn't rely on only (or mandate ) one launch vehicle.

[Jim]

If SpaceX uses it's Starship as the primary vehicle and it's F9 as a secondary vehicle, could they not be utilized by NASA as two separate launch providers? If they maintain the F9 infrastructure and have a separate team that operates them apart from the Starship, couldn't they be treated as different launch providers within the same company and thereby provide access as a primary and secondary launch provider to NASA, thereby providing assured access?

Is there anything that states explicitly that launch providers must come from another company?

Because a launch provider is a company.  It is not vehicle based, it is company based.  And a company can have multiple vehicles on contract.

Separating providers is also based on company practices and not just vehicles.