Artist’s rendition of STPSat 3. Photo: Ball Aerospace

[Via Satellite 10-03-2016] The United States Air Force has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the launch of the Space Test Program 3 (STP 3) mission in June 2019. The winner of the award will receive a firm-fixed price contract for a total launch solution including launch vehicle production, mission integration and launch operations.

This is the third competitive launch service solicitation under the Air Force’s current Phase 1A procurement strategy, which reintroduces competition for National Security Space (NSS) launch services. Today, two companies — Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) a Boeing–Lockheed Martin joint venture — have the necessary certification to launch national security payloads. The Air Force released a draft RFP on Aug. 19 to obtain industry feedback, which then informed the final RFP, released on Sept. 29. Proposals are due back to the Air Force no later than Dec. 2.

The STP 3 mission consists of a primary space vehicle (STPSat 6) and a propulsive Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) holding up to six payloads to be identified no later than 12-months prior to launch. The satellite will host the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Space and Atmospheric Burst Reporting System 3 (SABRS 3) payload, NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) payload, and seven Science and Technology (S&T) payloads from the Department of Defense (DOD) Space Test Program.