SpaceX has been awarded an $81.6 million contract to launch a crucial U.S. military weather-monitoring satellite in 2027. The contract, for mission USSF-178, was granted by the Space Systems Command on June 27th. This marks SpaceX’s third consecutive victory within the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 program.
The mission will deploy the Weather System Follow-on – Microwave Space Vehicle 2 (WSF-M2), accompanied by a secondary payload: experimental small satellites known as BLAZE-2. WSF-M2 is the final satellite in the WSF-M program, following its predecessor launched in April 2024. Both satellites, built by BAE Systems, will operate in sun-synchronous orbit, providing comprehensive global weather coverage.
These satellites boast advanced sensor arrays for measuring ocean surface vector winds – essential data for assessing the intensity of tropical cyclones and monitoring storm development. Their capabilities extend beyond hurricane tracking, including the characterization of energetic charged particles in low Earth orbit, impacting satellite operations and communications. Additional functions include sea ice characterization, soil moisture assessment, and snow depth measurement.
The BLAZE-2 payload will carry experimental small satellites from various defense agencies. Col. Matthew Flahive, chief of Launch Mission Solutions Delta at the Space Systems Command, stated, “It is a strategic advantage when we can flexibly manifest small satellites on our launch vehicles with additional capacity to support emergent operational requirements and the research and development community.”
This USSF-178 contract underscores SpaceX’s early dominance in the NSSL Phase 3 program, having secured all three initial task orders under Lane 1. Prior awards, totaling $733.5 million, involved launching Space Development Agency and National Reconnaissance Office missions. The NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 operates as an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, providing flexibility for the government to issue task orders as needed.
The total Lane 1 contract is valued at roughly $5.6 billion over five years. SpaceX competes with Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance (ULA), while Rocket Lab and Stoke Space are also vendors, awaiting operational status to compete for task orders. Lane 1 differs from previous NSSL phases by accommodating missions with less stringent assurance requirements, ranging from Tier 0 to Tier 3. USSF-178 is notable as the first Phase 3 Lane 1 Tier 3 mission, reflecting the significant operational risk associated with WSF-M2 as the final satellite in a critical environmental monitoring program.