The Pentagon is set to launch an investigation into whether SpaceX should have been granted permission to carry military payloads on its rockets.
The Pentagon will evaluate whether the US Air Force complied with the correct guidelines when certifying space exploration giant’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.
In a memo, the US Department of Defence deputy inspector general said: “Our objective is to determine whether the U.S. Air Force complied with the Launch Services New Entrant Certification Guide when certifying the launch system design for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle-class SpaceX Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles.”
The Pentagon will carry out the review this month.
The certification, handed to SpaceX in 2015, allowed the company to compete for lucrative US military payloads.
It allowed the company to take on the United Launch Alliance - a joint venture between top defense contractors Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin.
SpaceX launched its first rocket for US national security purposes in December - carrying a military navigation satellite from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
