US Military Turns to SpaceX as ULA Struggles to Launch GPS Satellite
For the fourth time in over a year, the US Space Force must rely on SpaceX to launch a critical GPS satellite after ULA failed to deliver, highlighting the shifting dynamics in the military launch market.
United Launch Alliance's (ULA) inability to launch satellites when the US military needs them has led the Space Force to turn to SpaceX for the latest GPS satellite launch. This is the fourth time in just over a year that the military has had to shift a launch from ULA to its rival SpaceX, underscoring the changing dynamics in the lucrative government satellite launch market.
The GPS Block III satellite was originally slated to launch on a ULA Vulcan rocket this month. However, Space Systems Command, which oversees military space procurement, announced on Friday that the launch has been transferred to a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket instead. This is just the latest in a series of GPS satellite launches that have been shifted from ULA to SpaceX.
Source: Ars Technica
