SpaceX, Blue Origin, ULA and Northrop Grumman bid for US national security launch contract

The U.S. Air Force is looking to lock in its launch providers for national security satellite missions to take place between 2022 and 2026, and the bids for this so-called "Phase 2" procurement contract are now in. The field of competitors looking to become one of the two companies chosen is a who's who of U.S. commercial launch providers at the moment, including SpaceX, Blue Origin, ULA and Northrop Grumman. Both Northrop Grumman and Blue Origin are new entrants in this particular launch contracting area, while SpaceX and ULA are existing providers that handle U.S. national security missions.