SpaceX Can Now Bid For Military Missions

U.S. Air Force has certified SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for national security space missions, ending monopoly of United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Corporation and The Boeing Company.

SpaceX can now compete for the launch of military and spy satellites.

The approval comes two years after intense testing, reviews, discussions, and legal disputes. Reportedly, the U.S. Air Force dedicated a team of more than 150 people and spent nearly $60 million on testing and evaluation of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Elon Musk described the certification as "an important step toward bringing competition to national security space launch."

"We thank the Air Force for its confidence in us and look forward to serving it well," Musk added in the release.

"We thank the @USAirForce for its confidence in us and look forward to serving it well," tweeted SpaceX.

"This is a very important milestone for the Air Force and the Department of Defense," said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. "SpaceX's emergence as a viable commercial launch provider provides the opportunity to compete launch services for the first time in almost a decade. Ultimately, leveraging of the commercial space market drives down cost to the American taxpayer and improves our military's resiliency."