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Commercialization

USAF Awards EELV Launch Service Agreements

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
October 10, 2018
Filed under , , ,
USAF Awards EELV Launch Service Agreements

Air Force awards three Launch Service Agreements, USAF
“The U.S. Air Force announced today the award of three Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Launch Service Agreements to (in alphabetical order) Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, and United Launch Alliance. The award to Blue Origin will be for development of the New Glenn Launch System. The award to Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems is for development of the OmegA Launch System. The award to United Launch Alliance will be for development of the Vulcan Centaur Launch System.”

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10 responses to “USAF Awards EELV Launch Service Agreements”

  1. spambot1 says:
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    I’m sure everyone at SpaceX is just thrilled that all that money they saved the Air Force with all those competitve bids for payloads will get handed out to all their current and future competitors. I hate this business.

    • MarcNBarrett says:
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      I am wondering if the BFR has anything to do with this. The USAF likes stability. They like a launch system to stay exactly the same for years and years. Musk has stated quite clearly that he intends to get rid of the Falcon 9 less than 10 years from now. That can’t make the USAF very happy.

      • fcrary says:
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        If anything, I think the opposite. If the Air Force wanted to keep using the Falcon 9 and Heavy, I’d think they’d pay SpaceX to keep the production line open.

    • Terry Stetler says:
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      This is a development contract for new launchers. SpaceX has 2 developed, operational and certified launchers. USAF told Defense News that once EELV 2 launches go out for bid SpaceX is free to do so.

      https://www.defensenews.com

      WASHINGTON The Air Force on Wednesday awarded contracts to Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems formerly known as Orbital ATK and United Launch Alliance to continue developing next-generation rockets. The shocking decision leaves out SpaceX, although the company could rejoin the competition later.
      >
      “Beyond the offerors selected for award, the Air Force cannot comment on specific offerors proposal or whether the Air Force chose not to award to a specific company,” the spokesman said. “It is important to note that SpaceX is a valuable partner to the launch service community and the Phase 2 solicitation will be a full and open competition for all launch providers who have a low-risk proposal to achieve Air Force certification prior to initial launch.
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      • fcrary says:
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        I think this is a pretty obvious choice by the Air Force. They want the EELV 2 selection to be competitive. We’ve currently got Atlas V, with congressional orders to stop using Russian RD-180s, the Delta IV, which is going away since it’s an overpriced white elephant, and the Falcon 9 and Heavy. By the time they solicit bids for the next round of EELV launch services, the only qualified bidder would be SpaceX.

        So these contracts are going out to develop additional, potentially competitive. They can’t be comfortable with a purely privately funded development like New Glenn (what if Mr. Bezos changes his mind?) or Vulcan (what if the ULA board of directors change their minds?) And I really can’t see Northrop Grumman funding an Ares 1 revival on their own dime. So Air Force funding for those developments makes a certain amount of sense. At the same time, SpaceX is a competitor who already has the launch vehicle developed. Why send money their way, when no development work is needed to keep them in the game?

  2. Saturn1300 says:
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    2025? Looks like SpaceX will have all the USAF launches. Since None of these people will be ready. Or they are paying far beyond the the date these launchers are suppose to be ready. BTW Soyuz aborted on launch today. Not having a backup by NASA or Congress has caught up to them.Good long run though, so I guess it will work out. A year before the next Crew? Maybe CC can get some up by then. Dragon 1 could have been converted in ’12. Russia said it was a good idea. NASA said no.

  3. MarcNBarrett says:
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    https://www.space.com/42097

    I assume contingency plans for this type of thing are built-into the ISS scheduling. There is still a Soyuz at the ISS in case the crew needs to evacuate, for whatever reason?

  4. robert_law says:
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    One of these Rocket’s is based on Ares 1 ! could be future man rated !