SpaceX wins $1.6B Space Force order for 18 Falcon 9 launches

The U.S. Space Force awarded SpaceX two task orders worth $1.6 billion on July 29 for 18 Falcon 9 launches carrying military sensing satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base through the end of 2027. The satellites belong to the Pentagon's Space-Based Sensing and Targeting portfolio, an orbital early-warning system meant to spot airborne threats and relay targeting data to U.S. forces in near-real-time; the award was issued under the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 program and pushes SpaceX's 2026 Space Force contract total above $8 billion.