Linda Kane, Space Systems Command Public Affairs
On the heels of a record-setting year at its East and West Coast ranges, Space Systems Command’s Assured Access to Space Program Executive Office gears up for more launches, additional launch partners, and ongoing advances in responsive space launch.
With a plume of blue, final preparations for the first operational Vulcan Centaur launch, and the scheduled start of back-to-back missions in support of the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Tranche 1 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space architecture, the United States Space Force (USSF) launch enterprise is leaning into a new era punctuated by anticipated firsts and ongoing efforts to expand its stable of commercial launch providers.
Brigadier
General Kristin
Panzenhagen
“We have an outstanding team of professionals dedicated to meeting our Nation’s space access needs,” said Brigadier General Kristin Panzenhagen, quad-hatted program executive officer for Assured Access to Space; commander of Space Launch Delta 45 (SLD 45); director of the Eastern Range; and director of Launch and Range Operations. “Our team is ready for an even higher launch cadence in 2025, assuring access to space for our nation and maintaining our position as the world’s premier gateway to space.”
Some would say our Nation’s launch enterprise is already on a roll. The USSF launch team, which falls under Space Systems Command (SSC), is responsible for delivering new and advanced space launch and mobility capabilities in support of the warfighter, managing the Department of Defense (DoD) National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Program and the Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP), and sustaining and operating the nation’s East and West Coast launch complexes in support of DoD, NASA and commercial space launches.
Last year, SLD 45 continued to “set the pace for space” as the host installation for Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the world’s busiest spaceport. The SLD 45 team, composed of military and civilian Guardians and Airmen at Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral, oversaw a total of 93 launches from the Eastern Range, a new record and an increase of 35% over the previous year. (Space Launch Delta 45’s record-breaking launch count of 93 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for the year 2024 shown below.)
In addition to delivering 1,389 orbital assets into space, SLD 45 supported the first human spaceflight from the Cape since 1968. The Atlas V Starliner Crew Flight Test mission, which launched from the Cape’s Space Launch Complex – 41 (SLC-41), sent two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5th in 2024.
Several months later, the SLD 45 team supported the Crew-9 mission, which sent the first USSF Guardian into space on September 28th. Colonel Nick Hague, a Guardian on active duty, was selected as the pilot for Crew-9 alongside Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
Col. Nick Hague,
astronaut
“I feel privileged to have the opportunity to cast a broader spotlight on everything that Guardians do to make human space flight possible,” said Hague, currently on the ISS. “The average person might not understand that human space flight doesn’t exist if Guardians aren’t doing what they do on a day-to-day basis, whether it’s launching us into space or the range support that we get [at SLD 45].”
On the West Coast, Space Launch Delta 30 (SLD 30) also logged a launch cadence milestone with 51 launches in 2024. SLD 30 is the host installation for the Western Launch and Test Range based at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB).
Col. Mark
Shoemaker
“Within just five years, our West Coast spaceport and test range has evolved from supporting four to six launches annually to executing more than 50 launches per year, transforming our operations to a high-capacity spaceport,” said Colonel Mark Shoemaker, commander of SLD 30, VSFB, and the Western Launch and Test Range.
All launches from VSFB carry a national security system, provide access to commercial space solutions as part of a hybrid space architecture, or assist with bolstering the nation’s launch capabilities by increasing the reliability of the launch vehicles used for national security purposes.
Collectively, USSF’s two space launch deltas supported 144 launches in 2024, breaking the world record for annual space launches for the second year in a row—a record previously held by the Soviet Union from 1982 to 2023.
In addition to the increased number of launches, 2024 broke new ground in space launch with the Rapid Response Trailblazer (RRT) mission, significantly accelerating the launch of an NSSL-class payload on a Falcon 9 rocket headed for Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). The NSSL program delivers the Nation’s most critical national security assets to space. From planning to launch, execution typically takes two years, but the RRT mission was executed in under six months.
Colonel Jim Horne
“This mission successfully delivered a critical national security asset to a complex orbit on an expedited timeline in a remarkable demonstration of teamwork across multiple USSF organizations and commercial partners,” said Colonel Jim Horne, senior materiel leader of launch execution for AATS.
RRT’s payload was a GPS III satellite originally slated for a late 2025 launch. The decision to expedite launch was made in July of 2024, followed by a concerted effort across multiple USSF organizations to pull an existing GPS III satellite from storage, accelerate integration and launch vehicle readiness, and rapidly process it for launch. Key enablers spanned multiple disciplines and organizations, addressing technical matters, such as space vehicle-to-launch vehicle integration, on-console satellite control preparedness as well as nimble contracting and procurement actions.
Dr. Walt
Lauderdale
“The launch and spacecraft teams quickly aligned to execute this campaign and demonstrated the resiliency, communication and teamwork necessary to resolve schedule and technical challenges without compromising mission success,” said Dr. Walt Lauderdale, Falcon systems and operations chief and launch mission director. “This partnership is an example of new and faster ways we can deliver launch in support of future warfighter needs. The Space Force quickly energized multiple organizations, and the joint team delivered a specific, important mission to orbit in record time.”
In addition to record launch cadences and achievements in rapid response readiness, 2024 is also notable as the year in which Space Force Guardians bid farewell to two workhorse rocket families that have supported the NSSL program over the years: the Atlas V and the Delta IV. The Delta rocket family had a remarkable success rate over six decades of flights and concluded with 389 launches, whereas the Atlas V had a 100% launch success, founded on a heritage of more than 600 Atlas program launches.
What does 2025 have in store for SSC?
Plenty.
SSC’s AATS office manages the NSSL program in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The mission of the NSSL program is to acquire launch services to provide critical space support required to satisfy DoD warfighter, national security, and other Government space lift missions while fostering interagency and commercial cooperation.
For 2025, the NSSL launch manifest includes multiple missions in support of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) under development by the SDA.
Satellite proliferation is a key resilience strategy that calls for the distribution of multiple, smaller assets of the same system, built faster and at a lower cost. Operationally, proliferation provides technical redundancy, eliminating single points of failure across space, ground and user systems. SDA’s PWSA program will develop a proliferated architecture in LEO for the purpose of missile detection, missile tracking and networked communications, with spiral development executed in tranches.
The final four satellites in Tranche 0 were co-manifested with two MDA satellites on USSF-124, an NSSL mission launching aboard a Falcon 9 on Valentine’s Day, 2024. According to Lauderdale, the USSF-124 mission team was able to add the Tranche 0 satellites in under 30 days, less than six months from the then-scheduled launch date.
Lanes, Rockets and Contracts: NSSL Phase 3 Explained The National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program is a USSF program designed to provide assured access to space for the DoD and other U.S. national security payloads. Space Systems Command’s Assured Access to Space organization manages the program, which launches satellites for NSSL, the USSF, and other organizations, such as the Missile Defense Agency, Space Development Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office. Launch services, including launch vehicles, are provided by commercial space enterprises that successfully complete a rigorous certification process. Contracts are awarded in phases to certified launch service providers. To balance the need for mission assurance with the benefits that come from diversifying commercial launch partners, NSSL’s Phase 3 launch award strategy has been divided into two lanes.
Lane 1 covers less-demanding missions and is designed to encourage new launch providers with annual “on ramps” to provide potential launch partners with time to mature their technologies and compete throughout the Phase 3 contract award period. At least 30 NSSL Lane 1 missions are expected to be completed over a five year base ordering period. Contenders need to demonstrate that their systems are mature and be able to demonstrate launch capability that will meet mission needs in 12 months from award. Lane 2 requires each provider to be able to handle the most challenging NSSL requirements. Contracts awarded in this lane include missions that to more stressing orbits than Lane 1, necessitating higher performance launch systems and complex security and integration requirements. Lane 2 will consist of as many as three, competitively awarded, Indefinite Delivery Requirements contracts with a 5 year ordering period. Whether it’s onboarding new launch providers, supporting proliferated constellation strategies, or pushing the envelope of responsive space operations, SSC’s Launch Deltas on the East and West Coasts are likely to face another record-breaking year in 2025.
“This unprecedented responsiveness is a needed capability for the Space Force to confront today’s threat environment,” said Lauderdale. USSF-124 was also notable as it was the first Falcon 9 NSSL mission for 2024 using a flight-proven booster that previously supported six missions. “We began working this concept seven years ago, understanding the economic benefits and efficiencies that come with this formula and now we’re executing to a common plan,” said Lauderdale. “As we move forward together with SpaceX, we’re methodically expanding reuse to leverage the benefits for the USSF and our space vehicle teammates.”
The NSSL Phase 2 contract award includes task orders for 14 SDA Tranche 1 missions: 11 using the SpaceX Falcon 9 and three using United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan
“With multiple launches planned per year starting in 2025, the fast-paced cadence for launching these satellites not only supports the SDA strategy of rapid acquisition and fielding, but also builds momentum in efforts to make faster launch more routine as we realize the upturn in overall launch demand,” said Horne.
This year is also expected to herald the Vulcan Centaur’s debut NSSL missions.
The Vulcan Centaur is a next generation launch vehicle succeeding ULA’s Atlas V and Delta IV rockets. It was developed through an innovative public-private partnership between the USSF and ULA to leverage commercial capabilities to support NSSL missions. This next generation launch vehicle offers higher performance with two powerful, LNG/LOX boost-stage engines; as many as six solid rocket motors; and two payload fairing options for cost-effective, multi-manifest mission solutions.
At Cape Canaveral, the Vulcan Centaur will launch from SLC-41, making it the first launch pad in history to serve two entirely separate rocket families at the same time. The new Vulcan Launch Platform will accommodate Vulcan’s larger diameter and allow dual Vulcan and Atlas V operations from SLC-41 through the flyout of Atlas V missions.
Also notable is Vulcan’s use of an all-American designed Blue Origin BE-4 engine, marking the end of dependency on Russian made RD-180 engines used in Atlas V launch vehicles for NSSL missions. Combining the best of Atlas and Delta, Vulcan also leverages automated production techniques and greater use of additive manufacturing to reduce build time compared to its predecessors. ULA is contracted to launch 25 NSSL missions under the phase 2 Launch Services procurement contract.
2025 will also see Blue Origin’s New Glenn space vehicle vie for NSSL certification alongside ULA’s Vulcan Centaur and SpaceX’s Falcon for NSSL’s most complex launches. All commercial launch partners, including Blue Origin, must execute a successful certification process prior to carrying national security payloads into space. The comprehensive process includes multiple certification launches.
SLD 45 supported New Glenn’s maiden flight—and its first certification launch—with lift-off on January 13th from Space Launch Complex 36 (SLC-36) at Cape Canaveral. Named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, New Glenn’s signature blue flame is created by the liquid oxygen and liquid methane content of its fuel.
This maiden flight marked the first launch from the Cape’s SLC-36 in 20 years. SLC-36 was originally built to support the Atlas-Centaur family of launch vehicles in 1961 and was decommissioned and the facilities dismantled after the final Atlas II launch in 2005. In 2015, the complex was leased to Blue Origin, and construction to rebuild the site to support its New Glenn reusable launch vehicle began.
In addition to more launches with more launch service providers, SSC will continue to advance the USSF’s Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) mission, an increasingly essential component of national security in today’s contested space environment. In 2024, SSC’s Space Safari office, in conjunction with RSLP, concluded the VICTUS NOX TacRS mission (Latin for “conquer the night,”) VICTUS NOX was designed to test the USSF’s ability to deploy space assets “as needed” in response to a potential threat.
One aspect of TacRS requires the ability to quickly acquire, build, launch, and operate a satellite in response to a potential threat. From successful launch within 27 hours of a “go” order, through the completion of its space domain awareness mission, VICTUS NOX ticked off all four of these boxes, demonstrating an end-to-end capability to rapidly respond to adversary aggression. This mission also set a new speed record for small rocket launch to LEO, including time from contract to delivery; testing, fueling and mating to the launch adaptor; payload processing; and lift-off.
In 2025, the launch enterprise will double down on TacRS by planning for two demonstrations of 24 hour turnaround through the VICTUS HAZE mission. Last spring, the Space Safari Office, in partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and SpaceWERX, awarded contracts for VICTUS HAZE to two space industry vendors: Rocket Lab National Security and True Anomaly. The multi-vehicle demonstration is intended to further enable operationally relevant systems that can be leveraged for future urgent on-orbit needs.
True Anomaly and Rocket Lab will demonstrate their ability to build rendezvous and proximity operation (RPO) capable space vehicles (SVs) and command and control (C&C) centers with a delivery target no later than fall of 2025. Once the build phase is completed, the mission will enter several successive phases to include hot standby, activation, alert and launch phases.
While this is a coordinated demonstration, each vendor will be given unique launch and mission profiles. True Anomaly’s SV will launch from either the Cape in Florida or Vandenberg in California via a rapid rideshare.
Rocket Lab will launch via their Electron launch vehicle from either Mahia, New Zealand, or Wallops Island, Virginia. Both SVs will quickly initiate operations after reaching orbit. Once on-orbit, the operations teams will conduct a variety of scenarios to demonstrate space domain awareness (SDA) and characterization capabilities.
From supporting more launches and new rockets, to collaborating for faster turnaround times and responsive launch, 2025 is shaping up to be a busy year for SSC as it continues to support the American warfighter and international allies by securing U.S. interests in, from and to space.