Tag: Atlas V

Hold On A Minute! SNC Files New Motion for Dream Chaser

Hold On A Minute! SNC Files New Motion for Dream Chaser

Still Holding On:  Image Credit Sierra Nevada Corporation. The Wall Street Journal (yes, Andy Pasztor) reports that Sierra Nevada has taken its protest of NASA’s Commercial Crew award to a new level. According to the story, SNC has filed a motion with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. seeking to prevent NASA […]

Blue Origin, ULA Announce New Engine Project

Blue Origin, ULA Announce New Engine Project

The Times They Are A Changin Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance held a news conference at the National Press Club today entitled “Igniting the Future.” The purpose was announce the joint development of a new main engine to replace the Russian built RD-180 which powers the Atlas V booster. Called the BE-4, the new […]

Two for Tuesday: NASA Names SpaceX and Boeing as Commercial Crew Winners

Two for Tuesday: NASA Names SpaceX and Boeing as Commercial Crew Winners

It’s official. Making what it called a “A historic announcement about the future of America’s space program” SpaceX and Boeing were named as the two winners in NASA’s Commercial Crew competition at a press conference held at the Kennedy Space Center. The total amount of the award over the initial contract period is $6.8 billion. […]

Is Vladimir Putin Deciding NASA’s Commercial Crew Program?

Is Vladimir Putin Deciding NASA’s Commercial Crew Program?

Innerspace.net Commentary With the passing of the first week in September, NASA is presumably within a few weeks of announcing the winner or winners in the next phase of its Commercial Crew program. That phase, labeled Commercial Crew Transportation Capability or CCtCap, will see the selection of which firm is going to provide crew transport […]

SpaceX Counting Down to a Midnight Flight

SpaceX Counting Down to a Midnight Flight

AsiaSat 8 Streaks into the Night Sky: Image Credit: SpaceX “Fly By Night Away from Here!” belted out Rush’s Geddy Lee, and SpaceX is hoping its Falcon 9 booster will do just that on a launch scheduled for 50 minutes after midnight out of Cape Canaveral’s SLC-40. After a 10 day interlude to check for […]

Posted in: SpaceX
Air Force New Engine RFI Ignores Reusability

Air Force New Engine RFI Ignores Reusability

Image Credit: SpaceX Innerspace Commentary: On Wednesday, United Launch Alliance took delivery of two more Russian built RD-180 rocket engines destined for the Atlas V. They were delivered to Huntsville, Al. aboard an Antonov cargo plane in a depressingly routine procedure. Curiously, even though Congress is in recess, none of the Alabama delegation; Mo Brooks, […]

Posted in: Editorials, EELV
Gass Steps Down at ULA, Did SpaceX, RD-180 Play a Role?

Gass Steps Down at ULA, Did SpaceX, RD-180 Play a Role?

Image Credit: SpaceFoundation.org A number of news stories over the last week have focused on SpaceX firing somewhere between 200 and 400 employees, and the lawsuit filed over California’s WARN act as a result. Now however, a more interesting story is unfolding regarding the departure of just a single employee, not from SpaceX, but from […]

Posted in: Uncategorized
SpaceX, the Air Force and Mediation

SpaceX, the Air Force and Mediation

Late last week, SpaceX’s lawsuit against the U.S. Air Force regarding the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program took a bit of a surprising turn when Federal Judge Susan Braden ordered both parties to enter into mediation. While the Judge has not ruled on a previous motion to dismiss filed by the Air Force, she did […]

Posted in: Editorials, SpaceX
SpaceX / ULA Fight Moves to DEFCON 2

SpaceX / ULA Fight Moves to DEFCON 2

The battle over the USAF Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program took a new turn Thursday evening with a blistering series of tweets from Elon Musk, made in response to a report regarding a contracting official deeply involved in the award. The story, linked to in the Musk tweet says in part: “From March 2011 […]

Russian Engine Blazing, Atlas V Lofts Spy Satellite

Russian Engine Blazing, Atlas V Lofts Spy Satellite

Image Credit: ULA Doing what it undeniably does best, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lofted a National Reconnaissance Office satellite into orbit this morning from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The classified NROL-33 launch lifted off at 9:09 AM EDT this morning aboard the most basic version of the Atlas-V, the 401, which includes a […]

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