Pentagon Reprogramming Request Would Boost Launch Competition

摘要

The U.S. Department of Defense wants to reprogram money this year to boost the number of competitively awarded contracts under its primary satellite launching program, but a senior Air Force official expressed reservations about including an aging weather satellite in the pool of candidate payloads. In a 2014 reprogramming request sent to Congress July 10, the Pentagon asked for $100 million to support an eighth competitive satellite launch under its Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program. It is unclear where that money would be drawn from. Since 2006, United Launch Alliance of Denver has been the sole EELV launch provider, but the Air Force is in the midst of certifying Space Exploration Technologies Corp.'s Falcon 9 rocket to compete in that marketplace. Currently, however, the service has firm plans to put just seven launch missions up for bid in the next couple of years.