SpaceX photo A Falcon 9 rocket rumbled away from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday afternoon delivering 27 Starlink satellites just days after the military awarded a huge contract for the systems making sure launches occur safely. The two-stage rocket built by SpaceX blasted off at 4:40 p.m. from Space Launch Complex-4 and the first-stage booster landed on the droneship in the Pacific Ocean about eight minutes later. This marked the 26th launch and landing for the first-stage booster used Wednesday. An hour after liftoff, SpaceX confirmed the 27 satellites had deployed. The mission occurred day after the U.S. Space Forces Space Systems Command (SSC) awarded the Space Force Range Contract (SFRC) to Jacobs Technology, Inc. of Tullahoma, Tennessee, for a contract ceiling value of $4 billion. The contract runs through March 31, 2035. Military representatives said the contract “will transform the way operations, maintenance, sustainment, and systems engineering and integration services are provided at the Eastern and Western Ranges, to enable their eventual transformation into efficient, high-capacity multi-user spaceports.” The Western Range at Vandenberg, and the Eastern Range in Florida, monitor just-launched rockets and missiles to ensure they occur safely. “The Eastern and Western Ranges have long maintained large inventories of aging systems that have increased in cost to operate, maintain, and sustain,” said Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, Space Launch Delta 45 commander, and Eastern Range director. “SFRC will advance capabilities at both ranges through responsive and flexible operations, maintenance, and sustainment services.” Sign Up for the A.M. Report Keep up with Noozhawk's daily news coverage, delivered at 4:15 a.m. right to your inbox. Sign up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The contract also will enable commercial launch service providers to ask for task orders and directly pay for the services required to support their commercial launches. “Historically, the government has fronted these costs,” said Panzenhagen. “The ability of our commercial partners to directly fund their own task order will lessen the financial and administrative burden on the government and is in line with Congressionally mandated financial improvement and audit readiness requirements.” The Western and Eastern Ranges have operated for decades initially operating when only government rockets carried government payloads. Today, commercial firms have developed their own rocket carrying both government satellites along with commercial spacecraft. Jacobs was selected from among four offers received during the competitive process. Wednesday’s launch occurred on the 15th anniversary of first Falcon 9 rocket, according to SpaceX. The first Falcon 9 launch occurred from Florida and followed the firm’s fledgling Falcon 1 rocket. Another SpaceX launch of Starlink satellites occur as soon as Sunday from Vandenberg, according to notices warning boaters of a planned mission. Tagged: