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| SpaceX, Falcon 9 |
Musk's Space Company Wins Major US Military Deal
Elon Musk's SpaceX has been awarded a significant $5.9 billion contract by the U.S. Department of Defense for satellite launches, according to reports from Bloomberg and Reuters. This deal, part of a larger $13.5 billion agreement, will see SpaceX handle 28 of the approximately 50 military satellite launches planned by the U.S. Space Systems Command through 2029.
The contract also includes United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which secured $5.3 billion for 19 launches, and Blue Origin, founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, which received $2.3 billion for the remaining launches.
These launches are considered among the most challenging and costly missions, involving the deployment of various orbital satellites for the U.S. military. Historically, ULA dominated these launches, but SpaceX has emerged as a strong competitor with its reusable rocket technology.
This contract further solidifies the deepening ties between Musk's rocket company and the U.S. government. However, given Musk's influential role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), overseeing federal spending cuts and workforce reductions, this deal could raise concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
Musk commented on the contract win via X (formerly Twitter), stating, "While winning 60% of the missions might sound generous, the reality is that all of SpaceX's competitors combined cannot achieve the remaining 40%. We wish them success, but they are not there yet."