Blue Origin remains eligible for certification to compete for the U.S. Space Force’s NSSL Phase 3 “Lane 2” launch contracts despite last week’s New Glenn explosion during a ground hot-fire test. The Space Force said the incident occurred before launch and not during a certification flight, meaning it does not automatically remove the company from the certification process. The Lane 2 program covers approximately 54 national-security missions between 2027 and 2032 and could be worth several billion dollars. Blue Origin is seeking to compete with SpaceX and United Launch Alliance for these high-priority military launches, which require certification for more complex missions. While the Space Force will continue working with Blue Origin to determine the cause of the explosion and implement corrective actions, the company remains in the running for future contracts as it works to complete the remaining certification requirements. $LMT $NOC #BlueOrigin #SpaceX