SpaceX has tried very hard to break the monopoly enjoyed by the United Launch Alliance, a joint program between Lockheed Martin and Boeing which was previously the only outfit certified by the military to carry out space missions on its behalf. Elon Musk’s outfit has now been granted with the same certification which means that it has finally been able to break that monopoly. SpaceX can now launch spy and military satellites, this has been officially announced by the U.S. Air Force.
For two long years SpaceX has been involved in negotiations with the U.S. military, it has demonstrated time and again that it can meet the requirements for military space missions and this has now been recognized by the country’s Air Force.
In a statement provided to the media Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James has said that “SpaceX’s emergence as a viable commercial launch provider provides the opportunity to compete launch services for the first time in almost a decade.”
Now that the monopoly has broken it means that the United Launch Alliance faces competition for the first time and this will ultimately result in saving taxpayer money.
According to a report by Bloomberg, SpaceX is going to launch satellites for the military using its Falcon 9 craft for about $100 million whereas United Launch Alliance charges north of $160 million to do the same with its Atlas V rocket.
It’s certainly a big win for SpaceX.