Posted: Sat, Jan 24, 2015, 10:57 AM ET (1557 GMT)
The US Air Force and SpaceX have settled a lawsuit the company filed last year, leaving intact a controversial block buy contract between the service and United Launch Alliance (ULA). SpaceX filed the lawsuit last April, claiming that the Air Force unfairly locked out the company from competing on military launches with its block buy award to ULA. Much of the legal proceedings in the case were under seal, but SpaceX said in the statement that the Air Force agreed to complete SpaceX's certification for such launches in "an efficient and expedient manner." The Air Force also agreed to expand the number of competed launches "while honoring existing contractual obligations," an apparent reference to the block buy contract. The Air Force and SpaceX had been directed earlier in the month by the federal court judge overseeing the case to begin mediation on the dispute.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Bloomberg News article
•  Defense News article
•  Aviation Week article
•  SpaceX statement