SpaceX Awarded Two EELV-Class Missions from the United States Air Force

[bananas]

5. Satellite launches were privatized a long time ago

Prior to the early 1980s, there was no commercial space transportation industry. Instead, the United States launched commercial satellites on vehicles owned by the government. However, several events during the 1980s prompted the development of this industry, including the creation of a European commercial launch services organization, and the ban of commercial payloads (i.e. satellites) from flying aboard the Space Shuttle after the Challenger disaster.

By the year 2002, U.S. commercial space transportation and the services and industries it enables accounted for more than $95 billion in economic activity in addition to providing many benefits to public consumers (i.e. DirecTV and satellite radio).

ROLE OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

In 1984, Congress passed the Commercial Space Launch Act (the 1984 Act). The 1984 Act sought to encourage the development of the emerging commercial space launch industry and to facilitate compliance with Federal requirements. The Act created a licensing mechanism to enable quick and efficient compliance with existing Federal regulations.

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=15408

... the Commercial Space Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-303), which requires NASA and other Federal agencies to plan missions and procure space transportation services from U.S. commercial providers to the maximum extent practicable.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://oig.nasa.gov/audits/reports/FY11/IG-11-012.pdf