Washington DC - The space company of entrepreneur and White House adviser Elon Musk has received a multibillion-dollar contract from the US government.

Musk's company SpaceX is to use its rockets to launch military satellites into space. The contract is worth around $5.9 billion, the US military's Space Force announced on Saturday.

United Launch Services also received a contract worth $5.4 billion, and Blue Origin, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, was awarded a contract worth $2.4 billion.

In total, 54 missions are scheduled between now and 2029, and 28 of these are to be carried out by SpaceX.

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"The result is assured access to space for our national security missions, which increases the military's readiness," the Space Force statement said.

SpaceX dominates commercial space travel in the US, with Musk's company regularly carrying out missions for NASA and other clients.

At the same time, Musk plays a central role in President Donald Trump's team. He has been tasked with cutting government spending and scrutinizing agencies for potential savings, including the military.

Trump has claimed Musk is not gaining financial advantage from this connection.