{"id":31865,"date":"2020-04-29T18:30:08","date_gmt":"2020-04-29T18:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2020\/04\/29\/rand-report-backs-up-space-forces-plan-for-just-two-heavy-launch-providers\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:24:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:24:49","slug":"rand-report-backs-up-space-forces-plan-for-just-two-heavy-launch-providers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/space\/2020\/04\/29\/rand-report-backs-up-space-forces-plan-for-just-two-heavy-launch-providers\/","title":{"rendered":"RAND report backs up Space Force\u2019s plan for only two heavy launch providers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Space and Missile Systems Center says a new report by the thinktank RAND supports its decision to award contracts to only two launch providers under the National Security Space Launch program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study, which was commissioned by the Air Force<\/a>, shows that the heavy launch market is unlikely to sustain more than two domestic launch providers over the long term, a conclusion that supports the main thrust of the Defense Department\u2019s acquisitions approach for heavy lift launch services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe asked RAND to independently double check the assumptions we used to build our acquisition strategy,\u201d said Col. Robert Bongiovi, director of SMC\u2019s Launch Systems Enterprise Directorate. \u201cWhat we found was that our acquisition strategy encompasses RAND\u2019s recommendations as we are already making prudent preparations for a market that will only sustain two providers with our Phase 2 contract structure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t