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Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket at liftoff during the NG-2 mission on Nov. 13.
The U.S. Space Force is now taking proposals from new launch providers with rockets ready to fly by early 2027 to join the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program.
The service’s Space Systems Command released a request for proposals (RFP) for the NSSL Phase 3, Lane 1 fiscal 2026 on-ramp on Dec. 8, with proposals due Jan. 22, 2026. This is the second on-ramp opening for the new lane, first established in 2024 to help new entrants develop their rockets and compete for task orders to launch less demanding missions and lower-priority payloads. Lane 2 is a follow-on to the existing NSSL Phase 2 program that requires full vehicle certification, as well as the ability to reach any orbit and mission criteria for NSSL payloads.
Lane 1 offerors must provide evidence of a previously demonstrated flight or a credible plan to achieve first launch capability by Jan. 22, 2027, the solicitation says.
The totality of Lane 1 covers a five-year base ordering period of 2025-29 with at least 30 missions expected, plus an additional five-year option, under a $5.6 billion indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract. The Space Force selected Blue Origin, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) as the inaugural NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 providers in June 2024, and then added Rocket Lab and Stoke Space to the lineup in March 2025.
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