NASA has awarded SpaceX a modification to its NASA Launch Services (NLS) II contract, adding the Starship launch vehicle to the existing Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy services. This modification expands the scope of SpaceX’s capabilities to include Starship for future missions, supporting NASA’s planetary, Earth-observing, exploration, and scientific satellite programs, said a press release.
The NLS II contracts, which provide commercial launch services for NASA’s missions, ensure the highest levels of technical oversight and mission assurance, guaranteeing successful launches for high-priority, low and medium-risk missions. The contracts, which are indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, have an ordering period through June 2030, with an overall performance period extending until December 2032.
The contract also allows for new service providers to join annually through an on-ramp provision, providing opportunities for additional companies to compete for future missions. This flexibility helps NASA meet its mission goals while advancing space exploration. The contracts are managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program Office at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
This modification underscores the importance of SpaceX's role in supporting NASA’s diverse mission directorates, including the Science Mission Directorate and the Space Technology Mission Directorate. It also offers opportunities for other federal agencies to utilize the services. The addition of Starship to the NLS II contract aligns with NASA’s continued commitment to space innovation and exploration.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
