The Space Force just tripled the ceiling on its national security launch contract from $5.6 billion to $17 billion. SpaceX has already moved on it - picking up $1.6 billion in task orders for 18 Falcon 9 missions out of Vandenberg, all flying by the end of 2027. 170 launches over the next decade - seven providers competing for the work. SpaceX has already taken $7 billion in Pentagon contracts this year alone. 170 missions don't fly without people. Every provider needs them, and they're all hiring from the same talent pool. The timelines are locked in, and the hiring pressure is already building.
Jim Gort
2w
"DOGE" indeed, it is not "inefficient" if the money is funneled to MUSK! Good on ya, taxpayers...
$17B ceiling on a single contract vehicle is a structural signal, not a budget line. Seven providers competing for 170 missions means the bottleneck shifts fast from launch capacity to qualified workforce. SpaceX's $7B in Pentagon contracts this year already tells you who's absorbing the best people.