SpaceX Wins The Contract From Competitor ULA Because They Were The Only Bidder

SpaceX has been looking to obtain a national security launch contract but United Launch Alliance (ULA), which is a joint venture by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, has been the preferred provider. This time, ULA elected not to bid and SpaceX was awarded the contract by default.

For the first time, ULA found itself at a disadvantage because the RD-180 rocket engines that power its Atlas V launch vehicle are made in Russia. SpaceX had been unable to join the bidding contest for national security launches until May of last year, and since then have been aggressively pursuing a contract award. It appears that the climate changed when Congress was dismayed by the fact that ULA was using Russian-made engines to launch U.S. national security cargoes.

Under pressure to change engines, ULA has contracted with Blue Origin to provide rocket engines for their Atlas V launch vehicle in the future. Last week it was reported that there may be internal problems in the ULA management as former executive, Brett Tobey, announced to students at the University of Colorado that they simply couldn’t compete with SpaceX. It’s reported that these and other comments by Tobey led him to leave the company.

The contracted launch for SpaceX will take place at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in May, 2018. The launch cargo will be a GPS-3 satellite which is part of the next-generation Global Positioning System. According to the Air Force, this new system has improved anti-jamming capabilities and provides more accuracy.

(Image of SpaceX Falcon 9 from file)

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