# Department of the Air Force Expands Launch Procurement

The Department of the Air Force, led by Assistant Secretary Erich Hernandez-Baquero, is actively pursuing multi-year procurement strategies to increase satellite launch capacity beyond traditional sites such as Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. With a critical mission to launch approximately 500 satellites by the end of 2027, the Air Force and Space Force are seeking to broaden the pool of qualified launch providers through innovative contracting approaches, including flexible mission rockets and multi-year procurements modeled after munitions programs. This initiative aims to attract more investment and stimulate launch demand, supporting national security space objectives.

- The National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3, Lane 1 task orders awarded in 2024 for non-critical payload launches exemplify current contracting vehicles supporting this expansion.
- Multiple on-ramped launch providers including SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab USA, and Stoke Space Technologies are positioned to compete for upcoming launch contracts.
- Procurement professionals should anticipate increased opportunities for launch services and related support contracts as the Department seeks to diversify and scale launch capabilities.
- Companies in the launch services market should evaluate their capacity and readiness to meet flexible mission requirements and multi-year contract structures to align with Department priorities.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Contracting Vehicles
**Published:** September 15, 2026

### Government Entities
- Department of the Air Force (DAF)
- United States Space Force (USSF)
- Space Systems Command (SSC)

### Vendors
- SpaceX (on-ramped launch provider)
- United Launch Alliance (on-ramped launch provider)
- Blue Origin (on-ramped launch provider)
- Rocket Lab USA (on-ramped launch provider)
- Stoke Space Technologies (on-ramped launch provider)

### Sources
- [DAF Space Acquisition Chief Looking to Draw Lessons From Munitions MYPs for Launch - Defense Daily](https://www.defensedaily.com/daf-space-acquisition-chief-looking-to-draw-lessons-from-munitions-myps-for-launch/space) - defensedaily.com