SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket could earn U.S. Air Force certification to launch national security satellites even with several issues outstanding provided the company presents a mutually acceptable plan and schedule for resolving them.

This post is only available to members.

Mike Gruss is the chief content and strategy officer at SpaceNews. From 2013 to 2016 he was a senior reporter at SpaceNews covering military space. Previously, he was editor in chief of Sightline Media Group and worked as a reporter and columnist for...