SpaceX has awarded a $ 150.4 million contract to launch as many as 28 satellites for the Pentagon space agency. It was reported by Space News.
Under the contract, SpaceX is tasked with deploying 28 satellites for the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) at the Falcon 9 rocket summit from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The agency says the satellites will be ready for use until 2022.
“The contract is to launch a mix of small and medium-sized spacecraft of various sizes that the Space Development Agency is receiving from multiple vendors. That includes 20 data relay satellites known as ‘Transport and the other eight are missile warning satellites known as the Tracker Format, “ SpaceNews reporter Sandra Erwin wrote.
The group said it would select a supplier that would provide “best value” based on a number of criteria such as price, schedule and past performance.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, is “very confident” that his company will have landed humans on Mars by 2026.
“If we get lucky, maybe four years. We want to put a vehicle without a cookie in there in two years. If all goes well, humans could land on Mars in the 10-year timeframe, ”Musk said.
The entrepreneur also said that the development of SpaceX on its Starship rocket was a key element in that process. It has the right to launch cargo and up to 100 people at a time.