Boeing's Delta 4 rocket wins NRO launch order
U.S. AIR FORCE NEWS RELEASE
Posted: September 30, 2003
Today the Air Force awarded the Boeing Company a contract to purchase one Delta 4 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) to launch a National Reconnaissance Office payload from Vandenberg AFB, CA in 2005, according to Air Force officials.
This launch order is a compelling need exception to the suspension of three Boeing Integrated Defense System business units because Boeing is the only EELV contractor that currently has the capability to meet the requirements of this national security mission.
"This is a critical national security mission and since Boeing is the only launch provider that can currently meet the requirements of this mission, we believe it is in the best interest of the country to award Boeing this launch," said Under Secretary of the Air Force Peter B. Teets. "We have not removed Boeing from suspension and we expect them to continue to take meaningful corrective action to address the issues that caused this suspension," said Secretary Teets.
This is a part of the EELV Buy 2. The Air Force disqualified Boeing from the award of the other three Buy 2 launches and plans to award them to Lockheed Martin. The Air Force suspended three Boeing Integrated Defense Systems business units and three former Boeing employees from eligibility for new government contracts July 24.
The Delta 4 and Lockheed Martin's Atlas 5 are the two families of EELVs developed with the Air Force to modernize and reduce the cost of America's space-lift operations.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0309/30delta4/
U.S. AIR FORCE NEWS RELEASE
Posted: September 30, 2003
Today the Air Force awarded the Boeing Company a contract to purchase one Delta 4 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) to launch a National Reconnaissance Office payload from Vandenberg AFB, CA in 2005, according to Air Force officials.
This launch order is a compelling need exception to the suspension of three Boeing Integrated Defense System business units because Boeing is the only EELV contractor that currently has the capability to meet the requirements of this national security mission.
"This is a critical national security mission and since Boeing is the only launch provider that can currently meet the requirements of this mission, we believe it is in the best interest of the country to award Boeing this launch," said Under Secretary of the Air Force Peter B. Teets. "We have not removed Boeing from suspension and we expect them to continue to take meaningful corrective action to address the issues that caused this suspension," said Secretary Teets.
This is a part of the EELV Buy 2. The Air Force disqualified Boeing from the award of the other three Buy 2 launches and plans to award them to Lockheed Martin. The Air Force suspended three Boeing Integrated Defense Systems business units and three former Boeing employees from eligibility for new government contracts July 24.
The Delta 4 and Lockheed Martin's Atlas 5 are the two families of EELVs developed with the Air Force to modernize and reduce the cost of America's space-lift operations.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0309/30delta4/