The United States Air Force awarded SpaceX a $102 million five-year contract to demonstrate point-to-point space transportation.
The contract is meant to fund the demonstration of technologies and capabilities to transport military cargo and humanitarian aid worldwide on a rocket.
The contract is for the rocket cargo program. The program is researching if it is viable to use large commercial rockets for Department of Defense global logistics.
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the lead on the program.
The United States Air Force did not announce the contract award. However, AviationWeek.com got the scope and reported the contract with SpaceX (via SpaceNews).
This is the largest contract to date for rocket cargo. SpaceX signed a similar agreement with the US Transportation Command in 2020.
This study looks at concepts for rapid transportation through space.
Last month, the US Transportation Command signed a similar agreement with Blue Origin.
The contract does not specify a specific timeline for demonstration. However, according to sources, a full-up demonstration could happen in a few years.
The Air Force plans to bring on other companies on board later. So, there will be no surprise if we see another contract announced with Blue Origin or even Boeing.
