Elon Musk's SpaceX and the United States Air Force are not fans of each other.
SpaceX sued the Air Force last April for not giving the company more opportunities to bid for rocket launches that the military intended to use for its Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program. On top of that, Musk himself accused an Air Force official of being bribed with a position as a vice president so that the Air Force would award a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin the sole contract for a project.
However, after months of tension, the Pentagon agreed to "improve the competitive landscape for national security space launches." This agreement not only opens doors for SpaceX to bid for more launches, but it also requires SpaceX to drop their lawsuit. The Pentagon promised to work with SpaceX in order to get them certified so they can receive government contracts.
Earlier reports showed that SpaceX was fairly close to being certified after fulfilling percent of the Pentagon's requirements for a government contractor. SpaceX expects to receive their first government contract by mid-2015.
It is still uncertain if this will affect the Air Force's EELV program. The EELV is designed to minimize launch costs while also allowing the military to send satellites and other payloads according to the current need.
Here's SpaceX's official statement:
"The Air Force and SpaceX have reached agreement on a path forward for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program that improves the competitive landscape and achieves mission assurance for national security space launches. Under the agreement, the Air Force will work collaboratively with SpaceX to complete the certification process in an efficient and expedient manner.
"This collaborative effort will inform the SECAF directed review of the new entrant certification process. The Air Force also has expanded the number of competitive opportunities for launch services under the EELV program while honoring existing contractual obligations. Going forward, the Air Force will conduct competitions consistent with the emergence of multiple certified providers. Per the settlement, SpaceX will dismiss its claims relating to the EELV block buy contract pending in the United States Court of Federal Claims."
