The contract is the result of a competitive bidding process, which saw SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and Blue Origin competing for the opportunity to launch missions under Lane 1. Despite Blue Origin not yet having achieved orbit, the company was still selected to compete for launches under the program. The Space Force has acknowledged that the pool of awardees is small, but has stated its intention to allow companies to bid on Lane 1 on an annual basis, with the next opportunity to join the program set to take place later in 2024.