HASC Chair: Air Force Moving Too Fast on Launch Services Procurement Program

摘要

The leader of the House Armed Services Committee voiced his concern regarding the Air Force’s plan to procure launch service agreements with commercial vendors in a March 28 letter to service secretary Heather Wilson. “I would like to convey my concern that the Air Force is rapidly pressing ahead with its Launch Services Procurement (LSP) plan,” Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said in the letter, which Defense Daily reviewed. He added that the service’s upcoming request for proposals for the second phase of its launch service agreements “risks undermining the Air Force’s goal of maximizing and sustaining fair and open competition and without sufficient information to properly evaluate next generation launch systems.” Space News reported March 23 that LSP competitor Blue Origin has been making the case that the Phase 2 RFP release timeline puts newcomers in the launch industry at a disadvantage, and is advocating that the request be delayed. Critics have also pushed for the Air Force to ultimately award launch service contracts to three companies, instead of dividing the work up 60/40 to two contractors as planned.