The Air Force on Friday declined to confirm that it awarded the contract to Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, without soliciting other bids. It also declined to say when the contract was awarded or how much it is worth.</s>United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing said on Friday it was not given an opportunity to bid against rival SpaceX for the upcoming launch of the U.S. Air Force’s miniature X-37B space plane.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.: United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing said on Friday it was not given an opportunity to bid against rival SpaceX for the upcoming launch of the U.S. Air Force’s miniature X-37B space plane.

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson disclosed during congressional testimony on Tuesday that the service was planning to fly its fifth X-37B mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

“ULA did not have the opportunity to bid for the Air Force’s fifth X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) mission which was recently awarded. ULA remains fully committed to continuing to support America’s national security missions with world-class launch services,” the company said in a statement.

Only United Launch Alliance and SpaceX are certified to launch U.S. military satellites.

The Air Force on Friday declined to confirm that it awarded the contract to Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, without soliciting other bids. It also declined to say when the contract was awarded or how much it is worth.

Four previous X-37B missions were launched by United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rockets.

SpaceX’s first publicly disclosed launch contract for the Air Force was awarded last year for a next-generation Global Positioning System satellite flight in 2018. A second GPS launch contract was awarded in March. The contracts are valued at US$83 million and US$96.5 million respectively.

United Launch Alliance did not bid for the first GPS launch contract but did compete and lost the second.

In May 2016, the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office disclosed it had hired SpaceX to launch a spy satellite aboard a Falcon 9. The mission, which was arranged through an intermediary, Ball Aerospace, took place last month.

SpaceX is owned and operated by technology entrepreneur Musk, who is also chief executive of electric car maker Tesla Inc .</s>NEW YORK — A major shift in power is underway in the commercial space industry.

SpaceX has won an Air Force contract to launch a secretive, unmanned X-37B space plane later this year. The upstart rocket outfit edged out United Launch Alliance — a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin — that until recently had a monopoly on United States military launches.

But SpaceX has been on a roll with military contracts. Its latest win is the deal announced Wednesday for SpaceX to handle the launch for the fifth X-37B mission, slated for later this year. The most recent X-37B mission was launched by ULA and ended about a month ago, after it spent nearly two years in space.

Because the X-37B program is largely a confidential military endeavor, the financial terms of the SpaceX deal were not revealed, and the company declined to comment.

SpaceX had to fight for the chance to break up United Launch Alliance’s monopoly and land lucrative military contracts. That started in 2014, when SpaceX sued the government, saying the Air Force wasn’t giving SpaceX fair consideration when it awarded contracts.

The suit was eventually settled, and SpaceX completed its first mission for the Air Force in 2015. The company has also signed two separate deals — valued at a combined total of $183.7 million — over the past two years to launch GPS satellites into orbit for the Air Force.

Not much is known about the X-37B plane, which launches vertically on a rocket but lands on a runway much like an airplane.

We do know it’s a project under the defense department’s Rapid Capabilities Office — which works on technology to combat urgent national security threats. The plane will carry more “experimental payloads” on this next launch, according to a statement from Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director Randy Walden.

Specifically, it will carry equipment to test “experimental electronics and oscillating heat pipes” during long trips in space, according to a press release. (Heat pipes can be used on satellites to help regulate their temperature in space.)

The Air Force did not say why it chose SpaceX for this launch, but there are a couple of reasons why SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket may be more appealing than United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket.

For one, there’s price. SpaceX has been hard at work trying to reuse parts of its rocket in order to bring down the cost of launches. The Falcon 9’s sticker price of $62 million is already much lower than that of the Atlas V, which is estimated to cost over $100 million. The deal also serves to keep Russia out of the equation. United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket uses Russian-made engines, which has long raised concerns among national security experts. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket engines are made entirely in the U.S.</s>United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing said on Friday it was not given an opportunity to bid against rival SpaceX for the upcoming launch of the U.S. Air Force's miniature X-37B space plane. Heather Wilson testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee, as a part of the confirmation process in Washington, DC, U.S. on March 30, 2017.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Channelnewsasia.com.</s>SpaceX will take over the launch of the US Air Force's secretive X-37B 'spaceplane' - a first for Elon Musk's aerospace company.All four previous X-37B missions were overseen by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin who launched the ship from atop one of its Atlas V rockets.Director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office Randy Walden said of the announcement: "We are excited about this new partnership on creating flexible and responsive launch options and are confident in SpaceX's ability to provide safe and assured access to space for the X-37B program."The X-37B is boosted into space by a launch vehicle. It then re-enters the Earth's atmosphere and lands as a spaceplane.Mystery surrounds the X-37B missions as most of their payloads and activities have been classified. However, the Air Force claims the mini-space shuttle is simply testing technologies in orbit and carrying out experiments which can be returned to Earth.The plane completed its last mission in May after a record-breaking 718 days.The new contract was revealed during Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson's appearance before the US Senate Armed Service Committee, just two months before the scheduled launch.Contracts are usually announced around two years before a flight.The Air Force hasn't provided details about when the contract was awarded.In March, SpaceX beat United Alliance to win its second Air Force launch contract valued at $96.5 million.</s>SpaceX will launch miniature spaceplanes for the U.S. Air Force this August. This came as a surprise since the first four Orbital Test Vehicles were launched using ULA's Atlas V rocket. (Photo : Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

SpaceX bags another launch mission for the U.S. Air Force. Elon Musk's commercial space flight company will fly its first mission in August for the launch of the X-37B miniature spaceplane.

The announcement was made last Tuesday, June 6, by the U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson. The military used to fly its top-secret missions using United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Atlas V rocket.

But for the X-37B miniature spaceplane launch in August, USAF will use a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This will be the company's first mission for the Air Force. There is no reason provided why the government chose to launch X-37s using a SpaceX rocket instead of ULA's Atlas V.

"SpaceX will be sending the next Air Force payload up into space in August," U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said in a webcast during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The secretary further divulged information by saying that the SpaceX Falcon 9 will carry two miniature spaceplanes to space. Aside from being SpaceX's first mission with the U.S. Air Force aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, this will also be the biggest national security launch for the company.

The partnership between the Air Force and SpaceX may be the first, but it's already the fifth launch for the X-37 Orbital Test Vehicle. ULA's Atlas V rocket launched the first four X-37 into orbit. SpaceX and its entry into the U.S. Air Force mission provided the secretary more confidence when it comes to commercial space flight services.

"There are some very exciting things happening in commercial space that bring the opportunity for assured access to space at a very competitive price," Wilson added.

Even the director of Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Randy Walden, said the capability to launch Orbital Test Vehicle on multiple platforms ensures a "robust launch capability" for their experiment designers. He also expressed his excitement over the new partnership between the U.S. Air Force and SpaceX.

"We are excited about this new partnership on creating flexible and responsive launch options and are confident in SpaceX's ability to provide safe and assured access to space for the X-37B program," Walden said.

The X-37 vehicles are reusable. The X-37B successfully completed its first landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida last May 2017.</s>The Air Force has selected SpaceX to launch the secretive X-37B unmanned spaceplane on its fifth mission to orbit, according to Spaceflight Now. The announcement was made by Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday.

"This is the model of the X-37, which will be going up again," Wilson said. "It's a reusable vehicle and will be going up again on top of a SpaceX launcher in August."

The X-37B spaceplane, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), is similar in shape to NASA's space shuttle but about a fourth of the size. The craft had launched on all four of its previous missions atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The switch to an upgraded version of the Falcon 9 demonstrates the increased trust the Pentagon puts in SpaceX to deliver important payloads to orbit. The Falcon 9 Upgrade or Full Thrust that will be used is taller and more powerful than previous versions of SpaceX's primary launch vehicle. The Full Thrust has been launched before, carrying large payloads such as one of the Inmarsat-5 satellites.

The Air Force has two X-37Bs, and these reusable, uncrewed orbital vehicles generally spend hundreds of days in orbit at a time. During the craft's fourth and most recent mission, it orbited the planet for 718 days before landing on a runway used by the space shuttle program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida last month. The spaceplane had operated out of Vandenberg AFB in California previously, but the Air Force recently moved its X-37B facilities to Cape Canaveral, so the X-37B may be using the Cape as its primary hub from here on out.

The X-37B's missions are classified, though the Air Force did say that the fifth mission will carry its Advanced Structurally Embedded Thermal Spreader (ASETS-11) experiment. Details on the ASETS-11 payload are scarce, and the Air Force Research Laboratory simply told Aviation Week that the long orbit would "test experimental electronics and oscillating heat pipes."

In addition to testing new equipment on extended missions in space, the X-37B is thought to perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions for the Air Force, monitoring nations that pose a potential threat to the U.S. such as North Korea. The spaceplane weighs about 11,000 pounds and typically orbits at an altitude between 200 and 250 miles, according to Spaceflight Now. It launches inside the payload fairing on top of a rocket and then deploys once the payload bay doors are opened. The craft is equipped with solar panels to power its instruments and a propellant-driven rocket engine to maneuver in space.

The Air Force did not disclose which of the two X-37Bs will be launched, but we do know come August, the USAF is going to launch their spaceplane to orbit, and the SpaceX Falcon 9 will have the privilege of lofting the craft back to space.

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• The 15 Best Hatchbacks Under $20,000</s>SpaceX has landed the contract to launch the Air Force's super-secret X-37B space plane back in orbit. The launch should happen later this year. SpaceX was competing against United Launch Alliance (ULA) for the contract.

The X-37B is a reusable, experimental spacecraft made by Boeing for the Air Force. Most recently, it returned to Earth in May after spending 718 in orbit doing some sort of secret something or other. Seriously, we have no idea what it's mission was. The X-37B has flown three prior mission for 224, 469, and 674 days, respectively. The SpaceX launch of it later this year will be it's 5th.

This time around, the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO), which runs the X-37B program is giving us a little information on the payload. They say that special electronics and heat pipes will be tested to see how they operate during extending space flights. Heat pipes ... sure, whatever you say.

If you aren't familiar with the RCO, this is the mission statement from their website:</s>SpaceX will launch the Air Force’s X-37B experimental spaceplane later this year, in the military’s latest vote of confidence in the Elon Musk-led space company.

This will be the first time SpaceX has launched the uncrewed robotic vehicle. United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp., has launched the spaceplane’s previous four missions atop one of its Atlas V rockets.

The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, which is responsible for the X-37B’s experimental operations, said it was “very excited” for the fifth flight, which will test how special electronics and heat pipes will fare during a long-duration space mission.

"We look forward to continued expansion of the vehicle's performance and are excited to continue hosting experimental payloads for the space community,” the office’s director, Randy Walden, said in a statement.

The Air Force did not disclose when SpaceX won the contract.

The Air Force has two of the spaceplanes, which look like miniature versions of the space shuttle and are known officially as X-37B Orbital Test Vehicles. The first X-37B was launched in 2010.

The X-37B’s most recent mission involved 718 days in orbit before the spaceplane landed last month.

While details of the spaceplane’s missions are scarce, the Air Force could be using the X-37B to test sensors for intelligence gathering from space, according to Brian Weeden, director of program planning at the Secure World Foundation, a private organization that researches space security issues.

Experts have also speculated that the spaceplane could be a vehicle for the military to quickly launch small satellites or as an on-orbit repair service for satellites.

SpaceX — which is based in Hawthorne and whose full name is Space Exploration Technologies Corp. — was certified by the Air Force in 2015 to carry national security satellites, which broke up a longtime and lucrative monopoly held by United Launch Alliance. Since then, SpaceX has won two contracts to launch national security satellites for the Air Force.

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12:50 p.m.: This article was updated to include industry experts’ opinions about the possible missions for the X-37B.

This article was originally published at 10:50 a.m.</s>The Air Force has selected SpaceX to launch the secretive X-37B unmanned spaceplane on its fifth mission to orbit, according to Spaceflight Now. The Falcon 9 Upgrade or Full Thrust that will be used is taller and more powerful than previous versions of SpaceX’s primary launch vehicle. The Full Thrust has been launched before, carrying large payloads such as one of the Inmarsat-5 satellites.

The Air Force has two X-37Bs, and these reusable, uncrewed orbital vehicles generally spend hundreds of days in orbit at a time. During the craft’s fourth and most recent mission, it orbited the planet for 718 days before landing on a runway used by the space shuttle program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida last month.

The X-37B spaceplane, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), is similar in shape to NASA’s space shuttle but about a fourth of the size.
United Launch Alliance says it was not given an opportunity to bid against rival SpaceX for the upcoming launch of the U.S. Air Force miniature X-37B space plane. The Air Force declined to comment.