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SpaceX Certified by NASA as Category 3 LV

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This is a big deal.

NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP) has certified Falcon 9 as a Category 3 launch vehicle. Category 3 launch vehicles are certified to support NASA’s highest cost and most complex scientific missions.
Chris B - NSF on Twitter

Just wondering how many missions per year NASA considers highest cost etc. and therefore uses a Category 3 vehicle?
Has ULA been the only company providing Cat 3 launches? If so, it's another bad day to be ULA upper management!
 
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Just wondering how many missions per year NASA considers highest cost etc. and therefore uses a Category 3 vehicle?
Has ULA been the only company providing Cat 3 launches? If so, it's another bad day to be ULA upper management!

I haven't researched it but I would bet that most were ULA and possibly Ariane. This certification means that NASA and the government considers SpaceX to be very safe for their most precious cargo. Which means more launches for SpaceX and less for ULA. Fundamentally ULA is safe until 2025 or later. The idea to have more than one available launch company for the government is a compelling argument until something else (Blue Origin) comes along to become a secondary company. I expect the next major argument from ULA will be that there needs to be a non-commercial launch company looking out for the governments interests and not for their commercial bottom line.
 
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I expect the next major argument from ULA will be that there needs to be a non-commercial launch company looking out for the governments interests and not for their commercial bottom line.

It seems only fair that ULA would look out for government interests after all the years the Government has looked out for ULA's bottom line! :p
 
I expect the next major argument from ULA will be that there needs to be a non-commercial launch company looking out for the governments interests
Heh. Translation: “Spend as much money as possible in as many states as possible so that members of Congress can boast about how many jobs they have brought to their constituents, without regard for cost efficiencies or program objectives being met”.