US may open space launches to private companies
OCT 18, 2011
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.025649
Los Angeles Times : Private commercial launch providers, such as Space Exploration Technologies Corp ( SpaceX ), may soon be able to compete with United Launch Alliance (ULA)—a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing—for launching national-security-related satellites into outer space. An agreement has been signed by several government agencies to establish the criteria, including detailed technical requirements and a successful launch record, for launching government payloads. On a related note, ULA is pushing for a five-year block buy of 40 of its rocket booster cores. The Government Accountability Office has raised several serious questions concerning the proposal, among them the possibility that such a block purchase could kill opportunities for competition by forcing the government to commit to more boosters than are actually needed.
© 2011 American Institute of Physics
