The Pentagon revealed on Tuesday that it had signed two contracts worth more than $159 million with Elon Musk’s SpaceX space business. According to the agreements, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets will launch two different flights, according to a statement from the US Department of Defense.
The two contracts are worth $159.7 million and will be finished by the end of 2023, according to the Pentagon. It did not say how much each mission would cost. It was also announced that the launches would take place at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The United Launch Alliance, another launch contractor, was also awarded two Pentagon contracts worth $224.2 million on Tuesday, according to the Department of Defense.
ULA, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, will also provide launch services with its Vulcan Centaur rockets. ULA is still preparing to arrive by the end of 2023.
This is the third time SpaceX has partnered with the Pentagon. SpaceX secured a $149 million contract to develop missile-tracking satellites for the Department of Defense in October, marking the company’s first government contract to build satellites. SpaceX received 40% of a deal with the US military to launch new rockets for the Space Force in July. The ULA got the remaining 60%.
