Tag: EELV

EELV Phase 2 and Blue Origin: Where’s the Congressional Curiosity?

EELV Phase 2 and Blue Origin: Where’s the Congressional Curiosity?

Responding to a letter from Congressman Mike Rogers, (R) Al, the GAO has released a report summarizing a presentation made before the House Armed Services Committee on June 6. The report, which is focused on the space launch capabilities of other nations, was requested as the Air Force prepares to structure the next phase of […]

The Ties That Bind: Russian / Chinese Engine Cooperation

The Ties That Bind: Russian / Chinese Engine Cooperation

From Tass: “Russia and China are actively discussing the prospects of cooperation in space rocket engine-making, creating a heavy rocket, space stations and making long-distance space flights, Russia’s Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov told TASS on Tuesday. “Our country has substantial potential accumulated in the sphere of engine-making. This is a well-known fact,” the ambassador […]

Posted in: Chinese space, Congress
SpaceX Wins Contract ULA Refused to Bid; Saves Taxpayer $60 Million

SpaceX Wins Contract ULA Refused to Bid; Saves Taxpayer $60 Million

Mars was not the only thing in SpaceX’s orbit on Thursday. On the same day that the company announced it is aiming for a landing on the Red Planet as early as 2018, it also landed the first award in its long sought campaign to launch national security missions under the Air Force’s EELV program. […]

“Space Settling for Less” : ULA Dismissal Underscores the High Costs of Low Expectations

“Space Settling for Less” : ULA Dismissal Underscores the High Costs of Low Expectations

Editorial: It is has not been a particularly good week for United Launch Alliance, and especially for now former VP of Engineering Brett Tobey, who resigned after making a number of controversial comments during a speech at the University of Colorado-Boulder. The story has unfolded in a flurry of articles in Space News, which on […]

Liberty Reborn or the Future Denied? Orbital ATK’s New EELV Class Rocket

Liberty Reborn or the Future Denied? Orbital ATK’s New EELV Class Rocket

An investor conference call (pdf download) for Orbital ATK which took place on March 1st has shed new, if somewhat puzzling light on Orbital ATK’s plans for a new booster to compete in the USAF’s EELV class against long standing incumbent ULA and recently certified SpaceX. Call it the rebirth of Ares-1, or perhaps of the patriotically […]

ULA Takes Its Ball and Goes Home

ULA Takes Its Ball and Goes Home

As threatened, United Launch Alliance declined to turn in a bid for the first openly competed national security space launch in more than a decade. Here is the statement from ULA: “ULA wants nothing more than to compete, but unfortunately we are unable to submit a compliant bid for GPS III-X launch services. The RFP […]

DOD May Not Be So Committed to Launch Competition After All

DOD May Not Be So Committed to Launch Competition After All

Editorial On Monday, an Innerspace editorial suggested that perhaps it is time to reconsider restrictions on launching U.S. government payloads on friendly foreign launchers, namely the Ariane V. Part of the logic came from the assessment that ULA is simply not going to be able to make the Atlas V price competitive with the SpaceX […]

SpaceX Receives Certification For National Security Launches (Finally)

SpaceX Receives Certification For National Security Launches (Finally)

The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) launches aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 After nine years, two lawsuits and 18 successful Falcon 9 launches, SpaceX has received certification to compete for national security launches. Here is the press release from the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, El Segundo, Calif. (AFNS) […]

Posted in: EELV, SpaceX
SpaceX V. ULA Battle Moves to the Senate

SpaceX V. ULA Battle Moves to the Senate

At Issue: The RD-180 According to a Reuters story the running battle between SpaceX and United Launch Alliance over military launches and Russian hardware took a new turn yesterday when Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R, Arizona) flatly rejected a request by defense officials to allow a broader interpretation of restrictions on the […]

SpaceX, ULA and the Delta IV

SpaceX, ULA and the Delta IV

Delta Heavy / Image Credit United Launch Alliance An Innerspace Editorial: In what seems to be becoming something of an annual affair, it was SpaceX versus United Launch Alliance Round earlier this week in Washington D.C. Last year, SpaceX’s Elon Musk and ULA’s Michael Gass squared off against each other in a highly contentious Senate […]

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