Draft Bill Funds RD-180 Alternative. Questions GPS-3 Slowdown

摘要

A congressional defense panel is recommending that the U.S. Defense Department spend $220 million next year to develop an American alternative to the Russian-made RD-180 engine that powers the first stage of United Launch Alliance's Atlas 5 rocket, a U.S. government workhorse. In drafting its portion of the 2015 defense authorization bill, the House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee said the engine development project, to be completed in 2019, would enable "the effective, efficient, and expedient transition from the use of non-allied space launch engines to a domestic alternative for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program." The strategic forces subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over U.S. military space programs, released its markup April 29 and approved the legislation April 30 for consideration by the full committee.