Jane Edwards
A U.S. Air Force official has said the June 28 explosion of SpaceX’s rocket for transportation to the International Space Station will not affect SpaceX’s certification for military satellite launches, DoD Buzz reported Monday.
“The Falcon 9 Launch System remains certified and has demonstrated 18 successful missions, three of which met the requirements of the certification plan,†Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, head of the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center, told DoD Buzz.
Brendan McGarry writes an investigation into the incident is now under way and SpaceX is likely to submit its bid once the military branch issues its final request for proposals for Global Positioning System III satellite launches.
Greaves told DoD Buzz the incident will not affect the Air Force’s plan to release the final RFP for GPS III satellites this month.
SpaceX received the certification for the Falcon 9 rocket in May under the military branch’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle acquisition initiative.
