The Air Force does not yet know whether SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket failure on Sunday will affect the company’s ability to compete for upcoming national security space launches. “At this time, it’s too early to assess any impact that the SpaceX launch failure has on future [Defense Department] launch missions,” an Air Force spokeswoman told Air Force Magazine on Monday. “The Department is firmly committed to smoothly transitioning our launch enterprise with a continued strong focus on maintaining assured access to space for national security space missions,” she said. The Falcon 9 rocket exploded after liftoff on June 28 on a NASA mission to supply the International Space Station. “Cause still unknown after several thousand engineering hours of review,” wrote SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in a tweet posted on Monday. The Air Force in May certified the Falcon 9 for national security space launches, enabling SpaceX to compete against United Launch Alliances rockets for future launch contracts. Service officials said the first contract they’d open to the Falcon 9 would be for the launch services to place GPS III satellites in orbit.
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
