SpaceX Walks Away From Pentagon Contracts
The company declined three US Space Force offers while other rocket developers advance toward their own launches.
By Noor Haddad ·
SpaceX recently turned down three offers from the US Space Force for military launch contracts.
The company declined the assignments after being approached with the opportunities, according to a report on Thursday. This refusal to accept the work stands out as a significant development given SpaceX's prominent role in government and defense space missions. In addition to this military matter, a separate report released Thursday addressed safety concerns regarding a NASA program. The agency's safety panel indicated that Starship might require up to 22 refuelings to support a lunar landing. These two items represent the primary SpaceX-related news items for the week of October 23, 2026.
Looking at other launch providers, PLD Space is preparing for the debut of its Miura 5 rocket. According to reports from Aviation Week, the company is approaching the final integration phase for the vehicle. The Miura 5 is one of three units that have been manufactured. The other two are designated to qualify specific system elements. CEO Raúl Torres discussed the production status in an October 19 program update. The company currently targets a first flight of this small-lift vehicle before mid-2027.
The manufacturing process for these three vehicles has allowed teams to work continuously across different stages of production and integration. Torres stated that the company applies lessons learned from each qualification campaign directly to the launch vehicle. One Miura 5 second stage has been fully integrated to begin system-level testing under representative operating conditions. This stage is located at PLD’s Teruel test facility for its qualification campaign. This campaign includes a wet dress rehearsal and a static hot-fire test.
Meanwhile, Reaction Dynamics is seeking to raise $350 million. The Canadian startup plans to use the funds to grow its staff from 68 to more than 350 people. The company is currently developing the small-lift Aurora rocket. Reaction Dynamics hopes this vehicle will reach orbit in 2028. The company also announced plans to build a medium-lift rocket named Borealis. This larger vehicle is scheduled for a debut by 2031.
Source: Ars Technica
