Via Space News Briefs:
U.S. Air Force Space Command intends to award a sole-source contract to Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) for an unspecified number of launches over a five-year period.
The so-called indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity contract has no guaranteed cash value for SpaceX, but the firm’s president, Elon Musk, said it could lead to at least one and possibly several Air Force launches. Air Force Space Command said a sole-source award is justified because SpaceX is the only U.S. company in a position to provide launch services for $5 million to $10 million in the year ahead. SpaceX’s Falcon 1 rocket — being offered at $6 million a launch — is slated to debut this autumn carrying an experimental satellite for the Pentagon.
Earlier this year, SpaceX protested a sole-source contract award by NASA to Kistler Aerospace for data from Kistler’s planned K-1 rocket. NASA ultimately withdrew the award.