Rocket Lab USA Neutron (left) and Stoke Space’s Nova (right) has been awarded National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 FY25 On-Ramp IDIQ contracts .Credit: Rocket Lab and Stoke Space

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force has tapped Rocket Lab and Stoke Space to compete for national security launch contracts, expanding the roster of private firms vying for a share of a multibillion-dollar program designed to bolster military access to space.

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Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense...