Billionaires Launch Buyout Bids For SpaceX Rival As Rocket Race Heats Up

The competition in the space race among billionaires continues as Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin and Cerberus, a private equity firm led by Stephen Feinberg, have submitted buyout proposals to United Launch Alliance (ULA). ULA, an aerospace and defense manufacturing company, currently has three potential buyers, including Blue Origin, Cerberus, and Textron, an aviation and defense manufacturer. ULA’s valuation is challenging due to its historical dependence on rockets that will be phased out. ULA, co-owned by Boeing and Lockheed, has held a dominant position in space launches until Elon Musk’s SpaceX increased its launch activity. Musk claims that SpaceX has launched over 80% of the Earth’s payload to orbit this year, surpassing China, Russia, and ULA. Estimated valuation for ULA is between $2 billion and $3 billion. The company has completed 155 missions and is being sold by Boeing and Lockheed as they introduce their new rocket, Vulcan Centaur. Blue Origin already has a previous relationship with ULA, having won a contract five years ago to build engines for ULA’s Vulcan rocket. Cerberus and Textron, if successful, would enter the rocket-launch business. While there is a race to compete with SpaceX, Musk’s company remains significantly more advanced than its competitors.