spacetoday.net: Report recommends Pentagon support two launch providers

Report recommends Pentagon support two launch providers

Posted: Sun, May 3, 2020, 2:04 PM ET (1804 GMT)
The Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) says that a RAND study backs its plans to award launch contracts to two companies later this year. SMC released the report Tuesday that concluded that, in the long term, there is only enough demand to support two companies. The study, SMC officials said, backs their plans to select two companies for National Security Space Launch Phase 2 contracts in the next few months. The report, though, made the case for "tailored support" in the near term for a third provider, which would meet near-term demand and "allows market forces to determine which firms are strongest, and thus survive."