NSSL Ph3Ln1 Ceiling Incr JA 26-17_RedactedFINAL.pdf

This is a Department of the Air Force Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition document dated April 2026, seeking approval for contract modifications exceeding $500 million.

The justification approves modifications to six Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contracts for National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 services: United Launch Services LLC, Blue Origin LLC, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), Stoke Space Technologies Inc., Rocket Lab National Security LLC, and awardees of the ongoing FY26 on-ramp source selection. The modifications increase the IDIQ ceiling from $5.6B to $17B to accommodate an unforeseen expansion of missions. The current contract holders and FY26 on-ramp awardees are identified as the only Launch Service Providers (LSPs) capable of supporting the United States Space Force's mission requirements, including achieving at least 15,000 pounds mass-to-orbit to Low Earth Orbit, maintaining AS9100 certification, and conducting mission assurance activities. The acquisition is structured as a five-year basic ordering period (FY25-FY29) followed by a five-year option period, with launch services procured on an annual basis through firm-fixed-price task orders. The justification cites 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1) as statutory authority for restricting competition to a single source, and emphasizes that initiating a separate competition would result in unacceptable delays exceeding 180 days, jeopardizing the Government's critical national security satellite launch requirements and supporting approximately 500 satellite vehicles by the end of calendar year 2026.