The US Space Force has tripled the maximum value of the Lane 1 portion of its National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 contract, from $5.6 billion to $17 billion, reflecting a sharp rise in expected demand for military satellite launches. Combined with the Lane 2 contract, the programme's overall ceiling now exceeds $30 billion, a figure officials expect to grow further as the Pentagon adds missions tied to expanding satellite constellations and missile-defence plans.

The NSSL programme is split into two lanes: Lane 1 covers lower-risk missions such as rideshares and experimental payloads, open to a wider pool of commercial providers including SpaceX, ULA, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, Stoke Space, Relativity Space and Impulse Space; Lane 2 covers higher-priority strategic missions, restricted to certified rockets, currently only SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy and ULA's Vulcan. Lane 1 was originally set to cover around 30 missions, while Lane 2's $13.7 billion cap was meant to fund roughly 54 launches through 2029, though Space Systems Command identified 25 additional Lane 2 missions in April alone. Officials have not detailed every new mission driving the increase, but point to large SpaceX contracts for the Space Data Network and Airborne Moving Target Indicator satellite constellations, plus the Trump administration's proposed Golden Dome missile defence shield, as key factors.