In October 2018, the US Air Force originally ordered three launches for the NRO L-91, L-68 and L-70 missions under a Launch Vehicle Production Services (LVPS) contract. The second of these missions has now had its contract modified requiring the addition of US$149 million to the total price for the three launches which is now US$449.8 million. The NRO L-68 mission is set to be launched on a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral in 2023.
In a separate development the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has agreed to put the the NASA 6 m diameter LOFTID – Low Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator re-entry test payload along with its JPSS-2 satellite on its Atlas V 401 flight which will take place in late 2021. The technology, whose late int the flight helicopter recovery technique has been sponsored by NASA for US$1.9 million, may eventually used for Mars re-entry and rocket engine recovery operations.
