Contract: SpaceX, $40.8M

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), of Hawthorne, Calif., earlier this month was awarded a $40,766,512 modification (P00007) for the development of the Raptor rocket propulsion system prototype for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program. Work will be performed at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Hawthorne, Calif.; McGregor, Texas; and Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.; and is expected to be complete by April 30, 2018. Fiscal 2017 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $40,766,512 are being obligated at the time of award. The Launch Systems Enterprise Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8811-16-9-0001). (Source: DoD, 10/19/17) SpaceX announced in December 2013 that it would use SSC for its Raptor program. A previous contract from DoD also gave the Raptor project a boost.