--- description: The U.S. Air Force certified SpaceX to launch satellites for the Pentagon, giving Elon Musk's space company access to a new market. title: Elon Musk's SpaceX Is About to Tap a Huge New Market image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3273cec630b72a11/698851c50b72e361986e42d3/494549167.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Companies](/tag/companies/) ## Companies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Elon Musk's SpaceX Is About to Tap a Huge New Market by [Daniel Roberts / Fortune](/author/fortune/) ## Daniel Roberts / Fortune Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 27, 2015 1:41 PM CUT  SpaceX CEO Elon Musk introduces SpaceX's Dragon V2 spacecraft, the company's next generation version of the Dragon ship designed to carry astronauts into space, at a press conference in Hawthorne, Calif. on May 29, 2014. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk introduces SpaceX's Dragon V2 spacecraft, the company's next generation version of the Dragon ship designed to carry astronauts into space, at a press conference in Hawthorne, Calif. on May 29, 2014.Robyn Beck—AFP/Getty Images by [Daniel Roberts / Fortune](/author/fortune/) ## Daniel Roberts / Fortune Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 27, 2015 1:41 PM CUT The U.S. Air Force certified SpaceX to launch satellites for the Pentagon, it was announced Tuesday. This is significant news for Elon Musk’s 13-year-old aerospace company, which has long been involved in a court case over certification from the Pentagon. As the [Washington](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/05/26/air-force-certifies-elon-musks-spacex-to-launch-national-security-missions/ "undefined")[ _Post_](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/05/26/air-force-certifies-elon-musks-spacex-to-launch-national-security-missions/ "undefined")reports, obtaining Pentagon certification means SpaceX can compete with United Launch Alliance, a joint space venture formed in 2006 by Lockheed Martin and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. ULA provides launch services to government entities like NASA and the Department of Defense—customers SpaceX also wants to service. The certification process began when SpaceX sued the U.S. Air Force in April of last year, arguing its bidding process for awarding contracts to launch Pentagon satellites had turned ULA into an unfair monopoly. (In 2012, the Air Force awarded 36 launches to ULA, which was the only contractor certified to launch under the EELV, or Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program.) Musk framed the lawsuit as a broader effort to get future launches reopened to widespread competition. The suit was a rare and risky example of a company suing the organization that would be its biggest customer if it won the suit. In January of this year, SpaceX dropped the lawsuit and the certification process began. Now Musk has earned what he sought—the right to compete. It’s a big win for Musk and SpaceX, which last year won a contract to fly astronauts to NASA’s International Space Station. In a statement about earning Pentagon certification, Musk said it is an “important step.” He’s not the only one that thinks so. The news is getting big reactions from major names in the defense industry. Republican Senator John McCain, for instance, said in a statement: “The certification of SpaceX as a provider for defense space launch contracts is a win for competition . . . I am hopeful that this and other new competition will help to bring down launch costs and end our reliance on Russian rocket engines that subsidizes Vladimir Putin and his cronies.” ### PHOTOS: See SpaceX's Biggest Milestones  SpaceX embarked on its first deep space mission with the launch of this Falcon 9 rocket on Feb. 11, 2015 at Cape Canaveral, Fla., after two previous failed attempts. Onboard is the Deep Space Climate Observatory, which will head 1 million miles from Earth to watch for incoming geomagnetic storms that could trigger power outages on our planet. John Raoux—AP  On May 29, 2014, SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk (not pictured) unveiled the company's first manned spacecraft, Dragon V2, at a press conference in Hawthorne, Calif., on May 29, 2014. SpaceX  A rocket carrying the SpaceX Dragon ship lifts off from launch complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla. on April 18, 2014. John Raoux—AP  Falcon 9 awaits its upcoming launch in SpaceX's hangar with landing legs attached on March 12, 2014. SpaceX  SpaceX's Falcon 9 launches with Thailand’s Thaicom 6 satellite aboard, on Jan. 6, 2014 from Cape Canaveral SpaceX  SpaceX's Falcon 9 launches from Cape Canaveral, on Nov. 28, 2013. SpaceX  SpaceX's Falcon 9 rolls out of the hangar on Nov. 28, 2013. SpaceX  A Falcon 9 rocket carrying a small science satellite for Canada is launched from a newly refurbished launch pad in Vandenberg Air Force Station in California, on Sept. 29, 2013. Gene Blevins—Reuters  SpaceX's reusable rocket prototype, Grasshopper, completes a 1,066-ft. (325 meter) hop on June 14, 2013 before landing back on the pad. SpaceX  A SpaceX component preparing for testing in the world's largest vacuum chamber at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. SpaceX  SpaceX's Dragon on the recovery boat on April 13, 2013. NASA  SpaceX's Dragon is grappled by the International Space Station on April 13, 2013. NASA  SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket leaves the hangar at Cape Canaveral, Fla., on March 8, 2013. SpaceX  Nine Merlin engines for the inaugural Falcon 9 flight, ready to be installed in the booster, on March 8, 2013. SpaceX  From left: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and SpaceX CEO and Chief Designer Elon Musk view the Dragon capsule that returned to Earth on May 31, 2012 following the first successful mission by a private company to carry supplies to the International Space Station, at the SpaceX facility in McGregor, Texas, on June 13, 2012. Bill Ingalls—NASA/Reuters  SpaceX's unmanned Dragon capsule floats in the Pacific Ocean off of Baja California on May 31, 2012. SpaceX/Reuters  SpaceX's Dragon commercial cargo craft is berthed to the International Space Station on May 25, 2012. NASA/Reuters  A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spacecraft blasts off from Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, on May 22, 2012. Red Huber—MCT/Getty Images  The SpaceX Falcon 9 test rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral on May 22, 2012. Pierre Ducharme—Reuters  SpaceX'S Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft lift off from Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral, on Dec. 8, 2010. NASA—Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images  From left: President Barack Obama and Head of SpaceX Elon Musk tour Cape Canaveral, on April 15, 2010. Jim Young—Reuters  On April 22, 2008, Musk's company landed NASA's launch services contract for Falcon 1 and 9 rockets. Here, the SpaceX factory in Los Angeles is shown on Nov. 21, 2008. Dan Tuffs—Getty Images _Read next:_ [_Watch What It’s Like to Get Blasted to 100MPH in 1.2 Seconds_](http://time.com/3894768/spacex-pad-abort-test/?iid=time%5Freadnext "undefined") [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/autoplay/?xid=spl-fullbrief-article "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3897641/elon-musk-spacex-pentagon/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3897641/elon-musk-spacex-pentagon/"},"headline":"Elon Musk's SpaceX Is About to Tap a Huge New Market","datePublished":"2015-05-27T13:41:52.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:44:47.458Z","description":"It'll take on Boeing and Lockheed","url":"https://time.com/3897641/elon-musk-spacex-pentagon/","keywords":["Companies","Tech","NASA","Boeing","Pentagon","Air Force","Elon Musk","SpaceX","pubdesk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3273cec630b72a11/698851c50b72e361986e42d3/494549167.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Daniel Roberts / Fortune"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3273cec630b72a11/698851c50b72e361986e42d3/494549167.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Elon Musk SpaceX Dragon","caption":"Elon Musk SpaceX Dragon","creditText":"Robyn Beck—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/companies/","name":"Companies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3897641/elon-musk-spacex-pentagon/","name":"Elon Musk's SpaceX Is About to Tap a Huge New Market"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Jeffrey Kluger On The History And Importance of SpaceX","description":"SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launch was a success Saturday, despite the failed soft landing attempt of the rocket booster at sea.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/ybJsMd73/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-01-10T14:36:50.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ybJsMd73.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3897641/elon-musk-spacex-pentagon/","duration":"PT1M36S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3897641/elon-musk-spacex-pentagon/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```