United Launch Alliance (ULA) is expected to overtake SpaceX in the upcoming years for National Security space missions, new reports suggest. With both companies undergoing aggressive growth in the sector, ULA, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co, is anticipated to surpass SpaceX in these vital missions by 2025.
ULA has inked agreements at a steady pace with some of the leading defense and intelligence customers, including NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the US Air Force for its ground-breaking Vulcan Centaur rocket. The move aims to bolster its standing in the aerospace sector, taking on rivals such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Vulcan Centaur rocket holds the potential to double ULA’s annual sales by providing lower costs and increasing competition in the industry.
Though SpaceX still dominates the commercially-driven sector of missions, its Edge over ULA in the realm of National Security missions may start eroding by the mid-2020s. Its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets currently hold monoply on National Security launches. The predictive upsurge can be credited to SpaceX’s innovative, low-cost rocket building strategy. ULA’s future success depends on Vulcan Centaur rocket’s debut, which offers heavy-lift capability without incurring exorbitant costs. The success of ULA in this sector hinges upon adequate infrastructure, comprehensive certifications, and strong customer support
In response to ULA’s advancement, a SpaceX spokesperson said, “It’s taking them 10 years to figure out what we know already — that reusable rockets are key to creating a sustainable, rapidly re Ally launch industry.” The response is scheduled to be launched in 2022, pushing the contentious business landscape even further toward booster competition.
Despite the competitions, collaboration between these two giants may surface in different government contracts or space projects that require both companies to join forces.
