The United States Space Force (USSF) recently released a second draft of a request for proposals (RFP) for the forthcoming phase three of the national security space launch (NSSL) program. Phase three will cover launch orders over a five-year period starting in October 2024 — the start of fiscal year (FY) 2025 — and has been structured to encourage more providers to enter.
The NSSL program provides most of the space launch contracts for the United States Department of Defense (DOD), including flights for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Colonel Douglas Pentecost and Colonel Chad Melone of the USSF provided more detail about the new draft RFP in a teleconference on Wednesday, July 19.