U.S. Space Force picks Blue Origin bid for increasing satellite tv for pc processing at Cape Canaveral – Spaceflight Now

Getting newer and more and more extra succesful property in house for U.S. service members and allies is a major objective for the U.S. Space Force. Among the challenges to bolstering America’s varied on orbit capabilities although is having house on Earth to get them prepared for launch.

To assist with processing spacecraft in Florida, the U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) tapped Blue Origin to assemble a brand new payload processing facility (PPF) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Initial Operational Capability (IOC) is scheduled for “early calendar year 2028,” in response to an SSC Assured Access to Space (AATS) spokesperson.

The National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Space Vehicle (SV) Processing Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) contract is valued at $78.25 million with the power set to be positioned on CCSFS property versus Blue Origin’s campus at Rocket Park, adjoining to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

“This second CSO award reflects our continued commitment to meet both national security and commercial launch requirements,” stated USSF Col. Dan Highlander, Director of Operations Integration for SSC’s Assured Access to Space directorate in a press release.

This is the second such contract awarded, following a $77.5 million settlement with Astrotech introduced in April that can increase its footprint at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. An AATS spokesperson stated the CSO contracting course of was closed on Sept. 30.

“Future requirements for additional payload processing capabilities will be addressed as part of USSF’s budget when Congressional appropriations are enacted for Fiscal Year 2026,” the spokesperson stated in a press release to Spaceflight Now.

The CSO contract obtained a complete of 12 proposals for capabilities at each the Eastern and Western Ranges. Five of these have been for particularly Eastern Range wants.

Blue Origin’s new facility will embrace house for “several pre-launch preparatory activities” that embrace charging batteries; fueling satellites; loading different gaseous and fluid commodities; and encapsulation. To accomplish these duties, Blue Origin will create “a clean, secure, specialized high-bay facility capable of handling flight hardware, toxic fuels, and explosive materials.”

The AATS spokesperson stated the brand new Blue Origin payload processing facility is “designed to accommodate up to 16 missions per year.” Among these, they stated the Space Force anticipates capability for a further seven or eight NSSL missions.

“This additional capacity will ensure the USSF is able to continue to deliver responsive and resilient launch capabilities to the warfighter, and the public-private partnership behind the new capacity enables us to cost-share with commercial industry to our mutual benefit,” Highlander stated.

New house, new partnerships

While Blue Origin is the corporate that can spearhead the creation of this new PPF, it received’t bar different launch suppliers from utilizing the house.

An AATS spokesperson stated the power would accommodate all NSSL payloads throughout the assorted launch suppliers on the Cape, which presently embrace Blue Origin, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance. The latter two have been every just lately chosen to fly mission for the second order 12 months of the NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 contract.

In March, SSC onboarded each Rocket Lab and Stoke Space for the NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 contract, which permits firms to bid for missions yearly which have much less stringent launch necessities. Blue Origin, SpaceX and ULA are additionally a part of this contract with SpaceX successful the primary two Launch Service Task Orders (LSTOs), valued at $733.6 million, in October 2024.

Stoke goals to launch its first Nova rocket from Launch Complex 14 on the Cape starting in 2026. Rocket Lab goals to launch its first Neutron rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island in Virginia earlier than the top of the 12 months and presently has no plans to launch from Florida.

“We are proud to work with the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command to construct a new Payload Processing Facility supporting multiple launch vehicle providers on Florida’s Space Coast,” a Blue Origin spokesperson stated in a press release. “This partnership will enhance Blue Origin’s capabilities to operate more efficiently and expand our capacity to support a higher launch cadence to meet customer needs.”

An AATS spokesperson stated that the united states anticipates the interagency agreements that it has with the National Reconnaissance Office and NASA for coordination on use of their PPFs shall be prolonged to the one being constructed by Blue Origin.

“Blue Origin will be able to schedule and utilize the facility for their commercial customers as well, including potential Government use of commercial capabilities,” that spokesperson stated as effectively.