With the Defense Department moving to put more satellites into orbit this year, the stakes are rising for two space launch companies with millions invested in north Alabama.

One of them, United Launch Alliance, has a long history of carrying satellites into orbit under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, which funds the launch of high-value military and intelligence satellites. The company assembles some of its rockets in a 2-million-square-foot facility in Decatur.

The other, Blue Origin, is a relative newcomer, but one that has built a large and growing footprint in Huntsville. In the past month, Blue Origin has launched the 29th mission of its suborbital New Shepard rocket and completed the first successful orbit of its New Glenn heavy-lift platform.