If You Are Confident That The Sbirs Satellites Will Work Once On Orbit, Why Did Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton, Commander Of Strategic Command, Push For Buying A Missile Warning Gap-filler Satellite?

摘要

It isn't about on-orbit performance; it is about getting to orbit. We have a long string now of operational successes in the launch business, but there is not 100 percent reliability in any of our vehicles. So Gen. Chilton asked us to look at a hedging strategy to determine how we would go forward here in the "what if" case. Typically, we have not conceptualized our programs that way, and he's uncomfortable with that, and if I were in his shoes I would be uncomfortable with that as well.