[[Home|🏠]] <span style="color: LightSlateGray">></span> <span class="no-hover">[[Contracts & Vehicles]]</span> <span style="color: LightSlateGray">></span> NSSL Phase 3
>[!summary] National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3
**Customer:** [[U.S. Space Force]]
**Contract Value**: $5.6 Billion
**Type**: IDIQ
**Period**: Through 2029
**Vehicle**: [[Neutron]]
>
NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 is a service-based, firm-fixed-price IDIQ contract structure under the [[U.S. Space Force]] designed for low-to-medium risk national security space missions. It supports flexible, task-order-based acquisitions intended to encourage competition, innovation, and rapid integration of emerging commercial launch providers. Lane 1 is open to multiple vendors and targets missions such as rideshares, small-to-medium payloads, or those with less stringent timelines or assurance requirements. It runs in parallel with Lane 2, which is reserved for high-assurance, critical missions with more demanding technical and schedule needs.
>
đź”— https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12900
## Activity
### On-ramp - March 27 2025
Rocket Lab was selected by the U.S. Space Force to compete for the Department of Defense’s highest-priority national security missions for its National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 program.
[[Rocket Lab’s Neutron Rocket On-Ramped to U.S. Space Force’s $5.6b National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program|🔗 Source]]
>[!quote] Sir Peter Beck (CEO) on inclusion in NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1
>“Supporting assured access to space for the nation’s most important missions has always been the goal with our Neutron rocket, and we’re incredibly proud to selected by the U.S. Space Force to demonstrate this commitment for the NSSL. Neutron is a powerful new launch option that will set a new standard for performance, affordability, and reliability in medium launch, and its selection to the program demonstrates a high degree of confidence by the Department of Defense in Neutron’s capabilities ahead of its first launch later this year. We can’t wait to showcase Neutron as the important platform it will become for the Department of Defense.”
## Program Awardees
| Company | Vehicle | Award Phase | Role / Status |
| ----------- | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| SpaceX | Falcon 9 | Initial Award (2024) | Active Lane 1 provider with multiple task orders |
| Blue Origin | New Glenn | Initial Award (2024) | Eligible ( certification pending ) |
| ULA | Vulcan Centaur | Initial Award (2024) | Eligible and certified |
| Rocket Lab | [[Neutron]] | [On‑Ramp Award (Mar 2025)](https://rocketlabcorp.com/updates/rocket-labs-neutron-rocket-on-ramped-to-u-s-space-forces-5-6b-national-security-space-launch-nssl-program/) | In capability assessment phase; pending first launch |
| Stoke Space | Nova | On‑Ramp Award (Mar 2025) | Similar assessment-stage onboarding |
## News
%% DATAVIEW_PUBLISHER: start
```
table published as "Published"
from "News"
where contains(contract, [[]])
sort published desc
```
%%
| File | Published |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------- |
| [[News/Rocket Lab’s Neutron Rocket On-Ramped to U.S. Space Force’s $5.6b National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program.md\|Rocket Lab’s Neutron Rocket On-Ramped to U.S. Space Force’s $5.6b National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program]] | March 27, 2025 |
%% DATAVIEW_PUBLISHER: end %%