The U. S.
Space Force awarded SpaceX a $1.6 billion contract on July 29, 2026, for 18 Falcon 9 launches through 2027, even as the company's stock fell 3.32 percent to close at $112.55.
The two new task orders fall under the Space Force's National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 program.
They cover missions launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The rockets will deploy satellites for the military's Space Based Sensing and Targeting portfolio, designed to track and detect airborne threats in near real time.
The latest order brings SpaceX's Pentagon contract total to at least $7 billion in 2026, driven by funding tied to the Trump administration's $185 billion Golden Dome missile defense initiative.
In May, SpaceX secured $6.5 billion in military satellite awards, including $4.16 billion for an airborne target indicator system and $2.29 billion for communications network satellites.
The Space Force completed the procurement in approximately two months to accelerate national security deployments.
"This is an unprecedented two-month acquisition timeline," said Eric Zarybnisky, acting portfolio acquisition executive for space access at the U.
S. Space Force.
The awards follow the Space Force raising its Phase 3 Lane 1 contract ceiling from $5.6 billion to $17 billion earlier in the month to accommodate expanding launch requirements.
Executing the 18 missions by 2027 will require an operational pace averaging roughly one launch per month from Vandenberg.
SpaceX continues to dominate military launch procurement as rivals face operational delays.
United Launch Alliance remains bogged down in a technical review of its Vulcan rocket's booster separation system.
Blue Origin continues investigating a May launchpad explosion that grounded its New Glenn rocket until at least the end of the year.
Despite the procurement win, SpaceX shares dropped 3.32 percent on July 29 to $112.55, following a record low of $107.01 on July 28.
The stock trades well below its $135 initial public offering price, down nearly 29 percent over the past month ahead of an August 6 share unlock and an August 4 earnings report.
In civil space operations, SpaceX successfully completed the 13th flight test of its Starship rocket from South Texas on July 24, landing the upper-stage intact in the Indian Ocean for the first time.
"This is the first time we've put an intact Starship in the water," said Dan Huot, SpaceX spokesman, during the webcast.
The 171-foot upper stage remained floating in the ocean following splashdown, prompting recovery efforts by the company.
"This is a dream scenario," said Dan Huot, SpaceX spokesman.
SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk confirmed via social media on July 28 that recovery teams are working to retrieve the vehicle, with industry observers expecting the hardware to be transported to Australia for evaluation.
"Deadliest catch meets Apollo 13 content coming soon," said Kiko Dontchev, SpaceX vice president.
The Starship program remains central to SpaceX's contract with NASA for the Artemis lunar lander, as well as long-term goals for crewed Mars missions.
