U.S. Space Force Adds Impulse Space and Relativity Federal to $5.6B Launch Program

Key Points

• The U.S. Space Force awarded Impulse Space and Relativity Federal spots on the $5.6 billion NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 launch contract on July 7, 2026.
• The competitive award drew three offers, with $10 million in fiscal 2026 funding obligated at the time of the award.

The U.S. Space Force has granted two young rocket companies access to billions of dollars in Pentagon launch business, expanding the exclusive group of firms trusted to carry America's most sensitive satellites into orbit.

Impulse Space and Relativity Federal joined the $5.6 billion National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 contract vehicle on July 7, according to the Department of War's daily contract announcement. This gives both companies the opportunity to compete for individual launch missions as they arise over the program's lifespan.

Contract Structure and Eligibility

Securing a place on this contract does not guarantee either company an actual rocket launch. The Lane 1 award operates as an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract—a type of agreement that sets a maximum dollar ceiling and adds companies to a pre-qualified pool rather than committing the government to purchase a fixed amount upfront, according to SpaceNews.

Once inside that pool, Impulse Space and Relativity Federal can bid against other companies already on the contract for individual missions, called task orders, as the Space Force identifies specific satellites that need to reach orbit. Each company must demonstrate it meets the program's flight readiness requirements before any given launch.

Lane 1 vs. Lane 2: A Two-Track System

This distinction matters because Lane 1 was built as the lower-stakes, more experimental half of a two-track system the Space Force uses to procure launch services.

• Lane 2 is reserved for the military's most demanding and sensitive missions, requiring launch systems that have earned full government certification and meet the Pentagon's most rigorous mission assurance standards—a bar that takes years and multiple successful flights to clear, according to SpaceNews.
• Lane 1 exists so newer, less proven companies can begin winning national security business on lower-risk missions while building the track record needed to eventually compete for Lane 2 work. This gives the Space Force a wider bench of launch providers without gambling its most critical satellites on unproven rockets.

Company Profiles

Relativity Space is developing a medium-lift rocket called Terran R, aimed at both commercial and government satellite missions, according to SpaceNews. The company has built its reputation partly around unconventional, large-scale 3D-printed manufacturing techniques for rocket hardware.

Impulse Space, by contrast, has built its business primarily around orbital transfer vehicles—spacecraft that maneuver satellites into their final, precise orbits after a rocket has already delivered them to a lower parking orbit. This capability is distinct from launch vehicles themselves and makes Impulse Space's addition to a launch services contract a notable expansion of what the company can now offer the government directly.

Existing Contract Holders

SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, and Stoke Space had all previously secured spots on the same $5.6 billion Lane 1 ceiling, with SpaceX and ULA holding their positions since 2024, according to reporting from GovConWire.

The Space Force has stated it intends to reopen the Lane 1 solicitation annually, deliberately keeping the door open for additional launch providers and new rocket systems to compete for future task orders rather than locking the roster in place once a handful of companies win their initial slots, according to SpaceNews.

Mission Scale and Competition

The scale of what these companies are now competing for is substantial, even within a single fiscal year. At least 30 individual missions are expected to be competed under the base ordering period of the Lane 1 contract, according to GovConWire. This gives both Impulse Space and Relativity Federal a real, near-term opportunity to convert their new eligibility into actual launch contracts, rather than simply holding a symbolic position on a large government vehicle.

Space Systems Command, the Space Force's acquisition arm overseeing the program from Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, confirmed the July 7 award followed a competitive process in which three companies submitted offers. $10 million in fiscal 2026 space procurement funding was obligated at the time of the award to get the contracts underway.

Broader Strategic Context

This expansion continues a broader effort within the National Security Space Launch program to reduce the government's reliance on a small handful of launch providers—a concern that has shaped the program's structure for years. A Congressional Research Service report on the program noted that a Senate Appropriations Committee report accompanying...