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SpaceX Certified by US Air Force to Launch Military Satellites

SpaceX Certified by US Air Force to Launch Military Satellites

By NDTV Correspondent | Updated: 27 May 2015 16:03 IST

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The US Air Force has certified private company SpaceX to launch military satellites, opening the doors to a lucrative market previously held solely by a Lockheed and Boeing joint venture.

With the clearance SpaceX can compete for military space contracts valued by US authorities at $9.5 billion over the next five years.

As soon as June SpaceX could bid for the military's new GPS satellite launches, the Air Force said.

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Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James said the certification was a "very important milestone" for the Defense Department, allowing competition for launches for the first time in a decade.

Founded in 2002, SpaceX is controlled by billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. The company has grown rapidly to become a leader in commercial space launches and for US space agency Nasa.

SpaceX has made numerous cargo flights to resupply the International Space Station and is preparing for a manned flight.

SpaceX competes with France-based Arianespace, which complains of not having access to US government contracts.

Earlier this month, Nasa formally certified SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket to launch the most ambitious science missions.

The Falcon 9 is now certified by Nasa as a "Category 2" launch vehicle. SpaceX has successfully launched six re-supply missions to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Nasa contract.

Nasa and SpaceX began pursuing the certification of the Falcon 9 in 2012. SpaceX won an $82 million contract to launch the Jason 3 mission - a project jointly funded by the US and France to measure sea roughness.

Written with agency inputs

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