Enlarge / Artist’s rendering of a Vulcan-Centaur rocket launch. (credit score: United Launch Alliance)
On Friday afternoon, the US Air Pressure answered one of many massive questions that had been hanging over the US launch business for greater than a 12 months—which two corporations will probably be chosen to compete for nationwide safety launch contracts from 2022 to 2026?
Throughout a video name with reporters, William Roper, Assistant Secretary of the Air Pressure for Acquisition, Expertise and Logistics, stated that United Launch Alliance will obtain roughly 60 % of the launch orders and SpaceX will obtain the opposite 40 %. Two different bidders, Northrop Grumman with its Omega rocket, and Blue Origin with its New Glenn car, is not going to obtain awards.
“The flexibility to fulfill our technical components to do the mission is crucial factor,” Roper stated, in response to a query on the Air Pressure standards. Secondary components included previous efficiency, the flexibility to work with small companies, and whole evaluated worth. The navy has 9 reference orbits for giant and sophisticated payloads that these rockets should meet.
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