National Security Space Launch: Increased Commercial Use of Ranges Underscores Need for Improved Cost Recovery , June 30 , 2025
National Security Space Launch: Increased Commercial Use of Ranges Underscores Need for Improved Cost Recovery , June 30 , 2025
From the report: "Over the last 30 years, the Department of Defense (DOD) has used different acquisition strategies to procure launches for military satellites from commercial providers. DOD’s most recent acquisition strategy—Phase 3—responds to DOD’s evolving and growing demand for launch services and infrastructure.
Phase 3 is a dual lane approach intended to lower government launch costs, ensure mission success and access to space, and facilitate competition.
• Lane 1: Expands DOD’s supply of newer commercial providers that can meet a subset of launch requirements.
• Lane 2: Assures DOD’s access to space with three commercial providers, which must meet all launch requirements for a specified number of DOD’s most critical payloads.
DOD is also taking steps to upgrade its launch infrastructure, which is strained by the increased rate of launches. In addition to military launches, companies use federal ranges to meet their own commercial launch needs—and commercial launches have more than quadrupled since 2021."
Authors - Government Accountability Office (GAO)Related Resources
