An artist's concept of Spaceflight's Sherpa tug, to launch late this year on SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Air Force Base carrying 87 small satellites into low Earth orbit. Credit: Spaceflight Industries illustration.

WASHINGTON — SpaceX and United Launch Alliance were selected as U.S. national security launch providers based on their ability to deliver spacecraft to specific Earth orbits. How the Pentagon buys launch services in the future could change, however, as the military considers using emerging technologies and services known as “space mobility and logistics.”

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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...