The U.S. Air Force released a final request for proposals May 11 from companies capable of launching small and medium-sized satellites to low Earth orbit. The Orbital/Suborbital Program-3 (OSP-3) solicitation, posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website, offers an opportunity for new entrants into the market for launching military payloads. The service intends to award up to six indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts over a five-year period with a combined cost ceiling of $900 million, Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Tracy Bunko wrote in a May 18 email. Contract awards are expected to begin in early fall. The OSP-3 mission set is split into two lanes, according to the solicitation. One is for launching payloads weighing up to 1,800 kilograms into low Earth orbit or on long-range suborbital missions; the other is for bigger satellites, weighing as much as 9,000 kilograms, into low Earth orbit.
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