Taylor Brooks
SpaceX has received a task order from the Space Systems Command under Phase 3 Lane 1 of the U.S. Space Force National Security Space Launch program. The SSC said Friday that the task order, worth $81.6 million, calls for the launching into orbit of multiple spacecraft under the the USSF-178 mission by fiscal year 2027.
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Remarks of Space Force’s Matthew Flahive
According to USSF Col. Matthew Flahive, the chief of the Launch Mission Solutions Delta at SSC, the award reflects his organization’s commitment to “having assured access to space” and “maximizing value for American taxpayers.”
“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,” he added.
Weather System Follow-on – Microwave Payload
One of the payloads to be carried by USSF-178 is SSC’s Weather System Follow-on – Microwave Space Vehicle 2, or WSF-M2. Developed by Ball Aerospace, WSF-M2 is the second of two satellites that will work to complement legacy capabilities in providing space-based environmental monitoring to enhance weather prediction for the benefit of warfighter mission planning and operations.
The first of the two satellites, WSF-M, was also developed by Ball Aerospace and was launched in April 2024. It achieved initial operational capability in April 2025.
