Boeing And Lockheed Strike Back Against Elon Musk, Business Insider The head of Lockheed Martin’s space division approached the issue in these stark terms during an interview with the Financial Times today, saying, “The government has a certification process that I think everybody ought to adhere to.” But certification isn’t quite this straightforward. The Air Force has only ever certified one company to launch its military and spy satellites: ULA. […]

Amid Attacks, ULA Outlines Some EELV Pricing, Aviation Week “ULA is battling to keep its Atlas V alive amid multiple attacks. Due to tensions over the Crimean annexation, Russia has said it will halt deliveries of the RD-180 first-stage engine for Atlas V to the U.S.; this would leave ULA with a current stockpile of 16 already in the U.S. Political pressure from the SpaceX lawsuit is also prompting some […]

Court Lifts NPO Energomash Injunction, SpaceX Back at Square One, SpaceRef Business “Commenting to SpaceRef on the ruling a SpaceX spokesperson said: The U.S. Court of Federal Claims has taken steps toward understanding whether United Launch Alliance’s current sole-source contract violates U.S. sanctions by sending taxpayer money to Russia for the RD-180 engine. That question, combined with the others specifically raised in the SpaceX Complaint, relating to the risks posed […]

Text of SpaceX Complaint vs The United States, SpaceRef Business “The following is the introduction of the complaint filed by SpaceX with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims with respect to the recent EELV contract awarded to United Launch Alliance (ULA). The full complaint is also available for download. Introduction: 1. The Air Force has entered into an unlawful contract for rocket launches with the United Launch Alliance (“ULA”), a […]

United Launce Alliance (ULA) Statement in Response to SpaceX Lawsuit, ULA “Defense Department officials have recently stated that cancelling the contract and terminating the block buy – which involves hundreds of suppliers and is enormously complex – would cost billions. Additionally, it could put critical mission schedules at risk that would have impact on operational capabilities and the satellite program costs. ULA is focused on delivering on all of its mission […]

Sen. McCain Seeks Information on AIr Force’s EELV Program “U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today sent two letters regarding the Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program – a vital $70 billion national security space-launch program that, without competition, has been plagued by exponential cost growth and schedule delays. The first letter is to Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James requesting additional information about her recent testimony […]

SpaceX to Sue Over EELV Sole-Sourced Contract, SpaceRef Business “In a news conference held at the National Press Club in Washington SpaceX CEO Elon Musk started off by outlining the recent success of the soft landing of the Falcon 9 first stage off the coast of Florida. He then dropped a bombshell aimed straight at the heart of Washington with news that he was going to protest and sue over […]

GAO: National Defense: Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Competitive Procurement “If DOD requires all offers to contain both fixed-price and cost-reimbursement features for launch services and capability, respectively, similar to the way it currently contracts with ULA, there could be benefits to DOD and ULA, but potential burdens to new entrants. Alternatively, if DOD implements a fixed-price commercial approach to launch proposals, DOD could lose insight into contractor cost […]

GAO Releases Report on Launch Services New Entrant Certification Guide, SpaceRef Business The GAO found that “while potential new entrants stated that they are generally satisfied with the Air Force’s efforts to implement the Guide, they identified several challenges to certification, as well as perceived advantages afforded to the incumbent launch provider.” Marc’s note: The guide was designed for new entrants in the EELV marketplace including: SpaceX Falcon 9 and […]

USAF Support For ULA Is Scrutinized, Aviation Week The chairman and the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence even go so far in an Aug. 2 letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta as to call the Air Force’s launch capability contract with ULA–worth billions of dollars annually to pay for the launch workers and support engineers–an “infrastructure subsidy.” EELV: DOD Is Addressing Knowledge Gaps in Its […]