Space Force Initiates On-Ramp Process for Orbital Launch Services

The U.S. Space Force has reopened a solicitation for the existing Orbital Services Program-4 contract vehicle in a move to increase the number of vendors that can help the branch deploy satellites to orbit within one to two years.

USSF’s Space and Missile Systems Center said Tuesday in a SAM notice it will award a task order for launch service user guide study to qualifying offerors that will receive a basic contract under the OSP-4 on-ramp.

The center selected eight companies in October 2019 to participate in the program with a $986 million ceiling value over nine years. The original vendor pool is comprised of Aevum, Firefly Aerospace, Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC), Rocket Lab, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, VOX Space and X-bow Launch Systems.

Vox Space won an initial $35 million OSP-4 task order in April 2020 to launch multiple technology demonstrations for the Space Test Program-S28 mission.

SMC noted it intends to conduct annual on-ramps during the ordering period to encourage competition among emerging launch providers.

The new request for proposals notice says the contract is not structured as a small business set-aside opportunity but the program is open to small and small disadvantaged businesses.

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