ULA Prepares Delta IV Heavy Rocket for Launch with NRO Payload on Aug. 26

摘要

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) of Boeing [BA] and Lockheed Martin [LMT] is preparing a Delta Ⅳ Heavy rocket with a classified National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) payload, NROL-44, for launch at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on Aug. 26. The final preparations come on the heels of ULA's Aug. 7 win in Phase 2 of the U.S. Air Force's launch service procurement (LSP) program for National Security Space Launch (NSSL) (Defense Daily, Aug. 7). ULA received a $337 million contract for two classified launches, and SpaceX received a $316 million contract for one classified launch. ULA and SpaceX may receive contracts for 34 launches under Phase 2. Under the terms of the agreement, ULA is to receive 60 percent of the launches, while SpaceX is to receive 40 percent. That could mean that ULA would receive 20 launches and SpaceX 14. Marco Caceres, a senior space analyst with the Teal Group, said that the pressure is now on ILA to ensure its Vulcan rocket performs well and reusably in Phase 2 to reduce costs significantly below $400 million per launch.