Blue Origin Joins the US Military Rocket Building Club
By Brian Orlotti The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded a total $2.3Bln US ($3.0Bln CDN) in contracts to three firms to develop launch systems for national security payloads. The announcement is a watershed moment, highlighting the entry of a new player as well as new technology into the US national security launch apparatus. The military contracts were awarded to: Kent WA based Blue Origin , which received $500Mln US ($650Mln CDN) to build its reusable New Glenn rocket . Centennial, CO based United Launch Services (ULS), a part of the larger United Launch Alliance (ULA), which received $967Mln USD ($1.25Bln CDN) to develop its " partially " reusable Vulcan rocket . ULA is the incumbent in this market and currently provides launch services to the US military using two expendable launch systems , the Delta IV and Atlas V . Dulles VA based " non-reusable " Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems , which received $791.6...