USAF Selects 8 Companies to Compete for Launch Contracts

The U.S. Air Force has selected eight companies to compete for $986 worth of launch contracts under its Orbital Services Program-4 (OSP-4) program. The companies include:

• Aevum Inc., Huntsville, Ala.;
• Firefly Black LLC, Cedar Park, Texas;
• Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, Chandler, Ariz.;
• Rocket Lab USA Inc., Huntington Beach, Calif.;
• Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Hawthorne, Calif.;
• United Launch Alliance, Centennial, Colo.;
• VOX Space LLC., El Segundo, Calif.;
• Xbow Launch Systems Inc., Auburn, Calif.;

“The contract seeks to capitalize on the emerging small launch providers while providing dedicated and primary launch services to the Department of Defense and other government agencies,” the U.S. Air Force said in announcing the selections.

“The program allows for the rapid acquisition of launch services to meet mission requirements for payloads greater than 400 pounds, enabling launch to any orbit within 12-24 months from task order award,” the announcement added.

The eight companies will be competitive for indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contracts under OSP-4.