Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth exhorted the U.S. space industry to step up its efforts in a forceful Feb. 2 speech in which he called for a new era of American “space dominance."
New Glenn
United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket is slated to fly its second national security mission in February—nearly six months after its first operational launch and almost a year after it was certified to fly military payloads for the Space Force.
The successful second flight of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket on Nov. 13 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., also included a first for the company—the launcher’s booster stuck its landing on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean.
The second launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, which could clear a path to military certification, is delayed due to severe solar storms.
Blue Origin launched its New Glenn rocket and SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on Jan. 16, as Space Force leaders watched with interest at two vehicles that may redefine how the service accesses orbit in the future.
At the most fundamental level, this requires the Space Force to have assured access to space. The Space Force must retain a diverse stable of launch providers, while expanding options for launch locations.