{"id":23308,"date":"2019-03-29T15:11:41","date_gmt":"2019-03-29T15:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/03\/29\/hasc-chairman-bolsters-blue-origins-argument-to-delay-launch-competition\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:01:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:01:00","slug":"hasc-chairman-bolsters-blue-origins-argument-to-delay-launch-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2019\/03\/29\/hasc-chairman-bolsters-blue-origins-argument-to-delay-launch-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"HASC chairman bolsters Blue Origin\u2019s argument to delay launch competition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 As the Air Force prepares to start the second phase of its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/space\/2017\/06\/26\/blue-origin-to-build-be-4-rocket-engine-in-alabama\/\" target=_blank>launch services competition<\/a>, it is looking increasingly unlikely that it will heed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/newsletters\/military-space-report\/2018\/09\/27\/ula-selects-blue-origin-engine-to-power-launch-vehicle\/\" target=_blank>Blue Origin\u2019s call to delay the contract award<\/a>, currently slated to occur in early 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/space\/2019\/03\/13\/house-democrats-to-give-trumps-space-force-a-makeover\/\" target=_blank>head of the House Armed Services Committee <\/a>is pushing back on that course of action, telling Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson in a March 28 letter that the service should take time to reassess its current plan \u2014 and hinting that there could be language in the fiscal year 2020 defense authorization bill that addresses the launch service procurement program.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/air-force-association\/2018\/09\/19\/amazon-founder-jeff-bezos-has-some-advice-for-the-air-force\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"203\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-174890031.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has some advice for the Air Force<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The world&#039;s richest man is also a wealth of helpful information.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I would like to convey my concern that the Air Force is rapidly pressing ahead with its Launch Services Procurement (LSP) plan, including issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) in a way that risks undermining the Air Force\u2019s goal of maximizing and sustaining fair and open competition, and without sufficient information to properly evaluate next generation launch systems,\u201d said Democratic Rep. Adam Smith. Blue Origin is based in Smith\u2019s home state of Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Given these concerns about maximizing fair and open competition, I urge you to delay the upcoming RFP until these concerns are resolved and until there is further clarity on a path forward that maximizes fair and open competition.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Air Force is set to release a request for proposals for LSP sometime over \u201cthe next couple weeks,\u201d said Lt. Gen. John Thompson, head of the Space and Missile Systems Center. SMC is charged with procuring the Air Force\u2019s space systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re anticipating a spring award next year,\u201d he told reporters on March 27, adding that he knows of no discussions inside the Pentagon about prolonging the award date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Blue Origin has been quietly been making the case to Congress that moving to source selection that quickly would be a mistake \u2014 and its argument is gaining traction with key members of Congress like Smith and Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., chairwoman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, who asked Thompson about the LSP schedule during a March 27 hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company argues that the Air Force should push back source selection by one to two years, an industry source told Defense News. An additional year would give competitors time to hit key milestones like critical design reviews, engine qualifications and major component testing, while two years would allow for companies to launch their rockets for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All of those events could give the Air Force more data with which to make a more informed decision, the source said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2019\/03\/13\/in-memo-air-force-head-hits-space-development-agency-as-not-ready-for-prime-time\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/16x9-composite.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">In memo, Air Force secretary slams Space Development Agency as not ready for prime time<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Pentagon wants to cut more than 100 current jobs and replace most of them with Space Development Agency roles.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his letter to Wilson, HASC chairman Smith seemed to agree with Blue Origin\u2019s argument, saying that \u201cthere seems to be a rush\u201d to move the competition forward despite delays in getting the competition started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The award for the first phase of the LSP program was delayed until October 2018, giving the companies that won public-private partnership money \u2014 Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance and Northrop Grumman \u2014 less than six months to work on their brand-new rocket designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Understanding it is important to make the right decision on such a monumental step in our space program, I encourage the Air Force to take more time to obtain additional information before moving forward,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ULA\u2019s agreement is worth $967 million to develop the Vulcan Centaur, Northrop\u2019s stands at $792 million for its OmegA rocket, while Blue Origin\u2019s clocks in at a $500 million to build its New Glenn system. SpaceX, which did not win funding under the Phase 1, is also widely expected to compete for the Phase 2 contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2018\/10\/10\/spacex-left-out-of-next-stage-in-air-forces-next-generation-rocket-program\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"158\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Vandenberg1.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">SpaceX left out of next stage in Air Force\u2019s next-generation rocket program<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Northrop Grumman, United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin won big contracts Oct. 10.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The battle will culminate with the Air Force\u2019s downselect to two launch providers, who will continue to bid against each other for the next five years, Thompson said. The service has told competitors to expect to bid for five launches per year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are ready to issue an RFP for the launch service procurements. All potential offerors have sufficient maturity, and we expect a full and open and robust competition,\u201d he told lawmakers on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson also pushed back on the idea that starting a competition now would limit the Air Force\u2019s ability to learn about the companies\u2019 launch systems as they move through the design process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOfferors will be able to update their proposals throughout the evaluation period if they have technological maturities or design review completions. We\u2019re confident we\u2019re on the right path for our nation\u2019s warfighting capability, and that we\u2019re being good stewards of the taxpayer\u2019s dollars,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Blue Origin contends that, by cutting off the competition next year, it could be artificially capping a playing field that may be able to support more than two launch service providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf the Air Force follows through on its stated plan to award exclusive five- to eight-year contracts to just two of these companies, it would dangerously limit competition and undermine the opportunity to access the full range of extraordinary technological breakthroughs taking place in an incredibly fast-moving commercial space launch market,\u201d Barbara Comstock, a former House representative for Virginia who now works for Blue Origin, wrote in a March 18 editorial in Defense One.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The industry source added that once the Air Force downselects to two competitors, the U.S. government will be locked into doing business with the new rocket manufacturers it picks \u2014 and one or two of the companies that won a Phase 1 contract will no longer be receiving funding from the government to continue developing their offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once that happens, there\u2019s no guarantee that firms will continue to invest internally in developing the equipment specific only to national security launches, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson, however, hinted that the Air Force may take steps to ensure that the competitors who lose out on Phase 2 still are incentivized to continue building their rocket designs, so that they can participate in later iterations of the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen we make the award next spring, then my guess is we\u2019ll have an opportunity to discuss with those offerors who did not receive awards how we will keep them in the game so we can compete for Phase 3, which will be our next launch service procurement in the future,\u201d Thompson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having a choice among four launch providers is a new phenomenon for the Air Force, which for more than a decade relied on ULA \u2014 a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing \u2014 to build rockets for national security launches. That changed in 2015, when SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 was certified by the Air Force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another major disruption came about a year later, when Congress passed legislation limiting the number of Russian-made RD-180 engines that ULA could purchase for its Atlas V rocket at 18 engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So far, six RD-180s have been used by ULA, leaving 12 for upcoming launches. Thompson told reporters that the service doesn\u2019t have clarity on when those RD-180s will run out, as the schedule has not been set in stone for all of those launches.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Blue Origin has been working behind the scenes to convince lawmakers that the Air Force should take another year or two to narrow the launch services 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By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>HASC chairman bolsters Blue Origin\u2019s argument to delay launch competition - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Blue Origin has been working behind the scenes to convince lawmakers that the Air Force should take another year or two to narrow the launch services field.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"HASC chairman bolsters Blue Origin\u2019s argument to delay launch competition\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Blue Origin has been working behind the scenes to convince lawmakers that the Air Force should take another year or two to narrow the launch services field.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2019\/03\/29\/hasc-chairman-bolsters-blue-origins-argument-to-delay-launch-competition\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-03-29T15:11:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T22:01:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Valerie Insinna\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Valerie Insinna\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            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