New Glenn Awarded Critical National Security Space Launch Contract

Blue Origin has won a contract to serve as a National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 2 heavy-lift provider for the nation’s most critical missions.

“It's an honor and huge responsibility to team with the U.S. Government to launch our nation’s most important assets,” said Jarrett Jones, SVP, New Glenn. “Through this partnership, we’re looking forward to delivering on a number of critical national security priorities.”

This contract tasks New Glenn with missions to stressing orbits requiring higher performance launch systems and full mission assurance as a Space Systems Command (SSC)-certified launch vehicle. The payloads delivered will support our nation’s strategic advantage in space.

This is the third national security launch-related contract Blue Origin have been awarded in the past year. In June 2024, Blue Origin won a contract to compete for NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 missions. They also won a contract in July 2024 to compete for missions in the Orbital Services Program (OSP)-4, which allows New Glenn to compete for task orders intended to put capabilities on orbit within two years.

January’s NG-1 launch was Blue Origin’s first NSSL certification flight, and they are expecting to fly NG-2 in late spring.