Monday, January 26, 2015

SpaceX, Air Force Settle Lawsuit

Los Angeles-based space rocket developer SpaceX said Friday that the company has reached an agreement with the U.S. Air Force, to drop its lawsuit against the USAF--giving SpaceX the opportunity to bid for national security space launches. According to SpaceX, the Air Force will work collaboratively with SpaceX to complete the certification process in an efficient and expedient manner. SpaceX had been locked out of the Air Force due to a "block buy" contract which the Air Force has with Boeing and Lockheed Martin. SpaceX said the Air Force will conduct competition for its launches due to the "emergence of multiple certified providers." SpaceX has been a vocal critic of the Air Force's block buy program, which SpaceX CEO Musk has said essentially give Boeing and Lockheed Martin a monopoly on Air Force national security launches into space. SpaceX is based in Hawthorne, not far from LAX.

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