U.S. Defense Department officials would prefer that industry share the cost of developing a new rocket main engine, but are well aware of the possibility that companies will not be able to justify a substantial investment amid uncertainty about the future payoff. Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's top acquisition official, suggested he remains flexible on the U.S. Air Force's engine acquisition strategy in recognition of the fact that companies need to recoup their investment and make a profit. "What we've asked industry to do is, [tell us] what it would take to close the business case for them," Kendall said during a press briefing Aug. 12 at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium here. "We're open-minded about the business deal as long as we get guarantees that we will have launch capabilities at a certain point in time."
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