United Launch Alliance

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is an American spacecraft launch service provider that manufactures and operates a number of rocket vehicles that are capable of launching spacecraft into orbits around Earth and to other bodies in the solar system. The company, which is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security, was formed in December 2006. Launch customers of the United States government include the Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, and other organizations.[3]

United Launch Alliance
TypePrivate
IndustryAerospace
FoundedDecember 1, 2006 (2006-12-01)
HeadquartersCentennial, Colorado, United States
Key people
Tory Bruno (CEO)
Products
ServicesSpace launch provider
Number of employees
2500 (2018) [1]
3600 (2014)
3900 (2009)
4200 (2008) [2]
Websitewww.ulalaunch.com

ULA provides launch services using expendable launch systems Delta IV Heavy and Atlas V, and until 2018 the medium-lift Delta II. The Atlas, Delta IV Heavy and the recently retired Delta IV launch systems have launched payloads including weather, telecommunications, and national security satellites, scientific probes and orbiters. ULA also launches commercial satellites.[4]

As of 2020, the company is developing the Vulcan Centaur, a successor to the Atlas V that includes some Delta IV technology.[5][6] As of June 2020, Vulcan's first flight is scheduled for July 2021.[7][8]

Company history

Formation and FTC approval

Boeing and Lockheed Martin announced their intent to form a 50-50 joint venture on 2 May 2005, aiming to consolidate the manufacture and development of U.S. government expendable launch vehicles and launch services. The formation of the joint venture would also end the litigation between the companies.[9] The name United Launch Alliance (ULA) was announced at the same time.[9] Annual savings (to the US government) were estimated by Boeing and Lockheed Martin to be between US$100 million and US$150 million.[9]

SpaceX challenged the United States antitrust law legality of the launch services monopoly on 23 October 2005, creating competition with reusable launch systems.[10]

The Federal Trade Commission gave ULA anti-trust clearance on 3 October 2006.[11] It was the FTC's opinion that due to the challenge of entering the government medium-to-heavy launch services market, the entry of SpaceX was unlikely to reverse the anti-competitive effects resulting from the formation of ULA,[12] but, it approved the joint venture on the basis that the benefits of assured access to space for national security outweighed anti-competitive harm.[13] The commission required ULA to "cooperate on equivalent terms with all providers of government space vehicles ... provide equal consideration and support to all launch service providers when seeking any U.S. government delivery in orbit contract ... and to safeguard competitively sensitive information obtained from other providers of space vehicles and launch services".[12]

Michael Gass era (2005-2014)

The ULA merged the production and operation of the two companies's government space launch services into one central plant in Decatur, Alabama, and merged all engineering into another central facility in Littleton, Colorado. The parent companies retained responsibility for marketing and sales of the Delta and Atlas launch vehicles.[14]

ULA had a peak of seven space launch facilities between 2005 and 2011, including three Delta II launchpads, which were decommissioned starting in 2011.[15] Two years after its formation, in late 2008, ULA announced it would lay off 350 of its 4200 workers in early 2009.[2] In the event, ULA had approximately 3900 employees by August 2009.[16] ULA joined the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) in June 2010 as an executive member. ULA's CEO Michael Gass described the company's membership as a "natural fit for us, and we are proud to do so".[17] By May 2014, ULA's membership of the CSF had lapsed.[18]

With the introduction of competition from lower-cost launch providers and the annually increasing costs of ULA launches, increased attention has been paid to the amounts ULA has received for U.S. government launch contracts and for its annual government funding of US$1 billion for launch capability and readiness. This readiness requirement included the maintenance of five launch pads and a number of variants of the Delta II, Delta IV, Delta IV Heavy, and Atlas V rockets.[19] As a result of increasing costs by ULA, in April 2012, the EELV program triggered a critical Nunn-McCurdy cost breach and a reassessment of the program, of which ULA was the sole participant.[20]

An uncontested USAF block-purchase of 36 rocket cores for up to 28 launches, which was valued at US$11 billion, was awarded in December 2013 and drew protest from SpaceX, which said the cost of ULA's launches were approximately US$460 million each and proposed a price of US$90 million to provide similar launches.[21] In response, ULA's CEO Michael Gass said its average launch price was US$225 million, with future launches as low as US100 million.[22]

Tory Bruno era (2014 onward)
Tory Bruno with NASA Administrator, Jim Bridenstine
ULA Launch Service Costs under the Block Buy (marketing publication)

Michael Gass stepped down as ULA's CEO in August 2014 and was replaced by Tory Bruno, former vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Strategic and Missile Defense Systems.[23] ULA entered into a partnership with Blue Origin in September 2014 to develop the BE-4 LOX/methane engine to replace the RD-180 on a new, lower cost first-stage booster rocket. At the time, the engine was in its third year of development by Blue Origin. ULA said it expected the new stage and engine to start flying no earlier than 2019 on a successor to the Atlas V.[24] A month later, ULA announced a major restructuring of processes and workforce to halve launch costs, partly due to competition from SpaceX. The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) calculated the average cost of each ULA rocket launch for the U.S. government had risen to approximately US$420 million in 2014.[25][26]

ULA had less success securing deals for Earth observation, commercial communication and privately owned satellites than it had with launching U.S. military payloads.[27] In November 2014, Tory Bruno stated the structuring was intended to "lead to improvements in how ULA interacts with its customers, both governmental and commercial", shorten launch cycles, and halve launch costs again.[28] Part of that program involved the development of a new rocket, the Vulcan, initially with private funds, to tackle "skyrocketing launch costs".[29] Bruno believed the new, lower-cost launcher could be competitive in the commercial satellite sector.[27] ULA intended to have preliminary design ideas in place for a blending of the Atlas V and Delta IV technology by the end of 2014 [30][31] but the high-level design was not announced until April 2015.[32]

In February 2016, it was announced the development of the Vulcan rocket would be funded via a public–private partnership with the U.S. government. By early 2016, the USAF had committed US$201 million of funding for Vulcan development. ULA had not "put a firm price on the cost of Vulcan development" but according to Mike Gross of SpaceNews, Bruno "said new rockets typically cost US$2 billion, including US$1 billion for the main engine".[33] In 2016, ULA had asked the U.S. government to provide a minimum of US$1.2 billion by 2020 to assist the development of the new U.S. launch vehicle.[33] It was unclear how the change in development funding mechanisms would change ULA plans for pricing market-driven launch services.[32] Since Vulcan development began in October 2014, the privately generated funding for Vulcan development has been approved only on a short-term basis.[29][33] The ULA board of directors, which was composed of executives from Boeing and Lockheed Martin, would approve development funding on a quarterly basis.[34] ULA planned to reduce its number of launchpads from five in 2015 to two.[35]

ULA released contract values to the public and new CEO Tory Bruno testified before Congress in March 2015 that while ULA receives government subsidies "to conduct national security launches", the same is true of SpaceX, which received funding "to develop new capabilities and the use of low-cost or no-cost leases of previously developed launch infrastructure".[36] It is difficult to directly compare launch costs because they are not necessarily calculated using the same cost-model assumptions.[37]

ULA announced in February 2015 it was considering undertaking domestic production of the Russian RD-180 rocket engine at the Decatur, Alabama, rocket stage manufacturing facility. The U.S.-manufactured engines would be used for government civil (NASA) or commercial launches, and would not be used for U.S. military launches.[38] This idea was abandoned following the passage of legislation permitting the continued purchase of the RD-180 from Russia.[39]

In May 2015, ULA stated it would go out of business unless it won commercial and civil satellite launch orders to offset an expected slump in U.S. military and spy launches.[40] The same month, ULA announced it would lay off 12 of its executives, a reduction of 30%, in December 2015. The management layoffs were the "beginning of a major reorganization and redesign" as ULA endeavors to "slash costs and hunt out new customers to ensure continued growth despite the rise of SpaceX".[41][42]

A controversy arose in March 2016 following public remarks by ULA VP of Engineering, Brett Tobey, whose comments were, according to Peter de Selding of SpaceNews, "resentful of SpaceX" and dismissive of one of the two competitors (Aerojet Rocketdyne) for the new engine that will power the Vulcan launch vehicle, which was under development.[43] Tobey resigned on 16 March 2016[44] and Bruno disavowed the remarks.[45] Senator John McCain asked the DoD to investigate the comments.[46] The Secretary of Defense asked the DoD's Inspector General to investigate.[47][48]

In December 2016, ULA created an online pricing tool called "Rocket Builder", which allowed potential customers and the public to estimate launch costs of the Atlas V rocket with configurable orbits, payloads and launch services.[49] Purchase-price estimates were removed from the tool in 2018 because it potentially provided commercially sensitive information to ULA's competitors.[50] Despite ULA's cost-cutting and restructuring, the cheapest ULA space launch in early 2018 remained the Atlas V 401 at a price of approximately US$109 million.<[30]

Following the failure of a SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying Amos-6, incorrect reports about potential corporate espionage by ULA circulated.[51] These reports were proved to be false 2 January 2017, when SpaceX released an official statement saying the cause of the failure was a buckled liner in several of the COPV tanks.[52]

In June 2017, Ars Technica analyzed a USAF budget and concluded if ULA was selected for all USAF launches in the year 2020–2021, the cost-per-launch would be around US$420 million.[53] Bruno described the analysis as "misleading"; in July 2017 the company was awarded US$191 million single-launch contract to launch the STP-3 mission aboard the heavy-lift Atlas V 551.[54]

In January 2018, ULA took over marketing and sales responsibilities for Atlas V launches.[55] Dan Collins, ULA's inaugural Chief operating officer, retired in April 2018 and was replaced by John Elbon, former vice president and program manager at Boeing Defense, Space & Security.[56][57]

During the 2019–2020 COVID-19 pandemic, some aspects of ULA's launch related outreach were scaled back but the company said it would maintain its launch schedule.[58]

On 7 August 2020, the U.S. Space Force awarded contracts for the second phase of its long-term launch services program for national security launches through 2020. United Launch Alliance, along with Space X, was chosen over Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman. The decision was driven primarily by past launch performance. As ULA has had 100% success record in about two decades of operation, it was awarded 60% of the contract.[59]

In September 2020, Tory Bruno announced that it had found a vendor in its supply chain that has partial Chinese ownership. The vendor designed software tools for use in development of the Vulcan Centaur rocket. Bruno said the vendor did not acquire any sensitive information. The company in question is KUKA Robotics. The Chinese interest in the vendor was discovered by a private investigator hired by ULA to monitor the security of its supply chain. The case was referred to the FBI. Bruno called on the federal government to cooperate more closely with the private sector to deal with Chinese corporate espionage.[60]

Launch vehicles and engines
Current ULA fleet
Delta IV Heavy
Atlas V 400
Atlas V 500

As of 2020, ULA operates the Atlas V and Delta IV rockets, which were developed under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program by Lockheed Martin and Boeing respectively, both launching in 2002. The Delta IV Medium was retired on 22 August 2019, but Delta IV Heavy rockets will continue to be used to launch heavy payloads. As of 2020, ULA is developing Vulcan, a heavy-lift launch vehicle that will replace its existing fleet. Astrobotic Technology's Peregrine lander will be launched on the first Vulcan certification flight, which is expected to occur in 2021 from SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.[61][62][63][64][65][66][67]

Atlas V
Main article: Atlas V

Atlas V is the fifth major version in the Atlas rocket family. It is an expendable launch system that was originally designed by Lockheed Martin. Each Atlas V rocket consists of two main stages. The first stage is powered by a Russian RD-180 engine, which is manufactured by RD Amross, and burns kerosene and liquid oxygen. Each RD-180 engine costs about US$10 million which is considerably cheaper than any competing rocket with the ability to launch a satellite to geostationary orbit. It has a flawless record of launching American satellites over many years of service.[68]

The Atlas V has been modified for human spaceflight. Human-rating required new computers to monitor performance and trigger an abort when necessary, data links between the rocket and spacecraft, and other changes. Crewed flights will include a mechanism to allow astronauts to manually abort. The Atlas V has already carried the Boeing CST-100 Starliner on its first unmanned spaceflight. The Atlas V that carried the Starliner was equipped with two SRBs from Aerojet Rocketdyne. This was the only Atlas V ever to fly without a payload fairing. With the Starliner on top, the rocket is 172 feet tall.[69]

In 2017, Sierra Nevada selected the Atlas V to launch the first two missions of the Dream Chaser cargo capsule to the International Space Station. These launches are part of NASA's Cargo Resupply Services 2 contract. At the time of signing its agreement with ULA, Sierra Nevada expected the missions to take place in 2020 and 2021.[70][71][72]

An Atlas V rocket was selected for the NROL-101 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. The rocket was launched successfully on 13 November 2020.[73] The variant of the Atlas V selected for this mission used of three new GEM-63 solid rocket booster made by Northrop Grumman. A larger version of this booster, the GEM 63XL, is being developed for the Vulcan Centaur.[74]

Centaur
Main article: Centaur (rocket stage)
Centaur rocket model

The Centaur is a family of rocket-propelled upper stages currently with one main active version and one version under development. The 3.05-meter diameter Common Centaur/Centaur III flies as the upper stage of the Atlas V launch vehicle, while the 5.4-meter diameter Centaur V is being developed as the upper stage of ULA's new Vulcan rocket.[75] A lengthened version of the Centaur V will be used on the Vulcan Centaur Heavy.[76]

The Centaur upper stage is powered by one or two RL10 engines, which are manufactured by Aerojet Rocketdyne, and burn liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The Centaur is the first rocket stage to use these fuels. On the Atlas V ULA typically only uses the once RL10 version of the Centaur upper stage. However, Aerojet Rocketdyne supplies two RL10A-4-2 engines for each Starliner mission flown by the Atlas V. The dual-engine Centaur configuration is used on human-rated launches for safety reasons. This configuration allows the rocket to fly on a shallower path to orbit, meaning horizontal velocity is emphasized over vertical velocity. This in turn reduces the maximum G-forces endured by the crew and allows for a safe abort at any time during the launch. The standard payload fairings are 4 or 5 meters (13 or 16 ft) in diameter with varying lengths. The dual-engine variant of the Centaur has flown more than 100 times on Atlas variant rockets. 166 of the Centaur's flights have used dual-engine variants. As of late 2019, Centaurs of all kinds had flown 251 times.[77][78][79][80][81][82]

The Centaur upper stage for the Atlas V also has an Aft Bulkhead Carrier capacity. The capacity was developed initially for the National Reconnaissance Office to take advantage of the extra capacity Atlas V has.[83]

Delta IV
Main article: Delta IV
Delta IV launch 2013-08-28

Delta IV is a group of five expendable launch systems in the Delta rocket family, which was introduced in the early 2000s.[84][85] The Delta IV was originally designed by Boeing's Defense, Space & Security division for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, and became a ULA product in 2006. The Delta IV is mostly used for launching United States Air Force military payloads but has also been used to launch a number of U.S. government non-military payloads and one commercial satellite.[86][87][88]

The Delta IV originally had two main versions, which allowed the family to accommodate a range of payload sizes and masses; models include the retired Medium, which had four configurations, and the Heavy. As of 2019, only the Heavy remains active; payloads that would previously fly on Medium moved to either the existing Atlas V or the forthcoming Vulcan Centaur. Retirement of the Delta IV family as a whole is anticipated in 2024.[89][90]

Delta IV Heavy variant

The Delta IV Heavy combines a 5 m (16 ft) diameter DCSS and payload fairing with two additional CBCs. These are strap-on boosters which are separated earlier in the flight than the center CBC. As of 2007, a longer 5 meter diameter composite fairing was standard on the Delta IV Heavy,[91] with an aluminum isogrid fairing also available. The aluminum trisector (three-part) fairing was built by Boeing and derived from a Titan IV fairing.[92] The trisector fairing was first used on the DSP-23 flight.[93]

Delta Cryogenic Second Stage

The Delta Cryogenic Second Stage (DCSS) is a family of cryogenic rocket stages used on the Delta III and Delta IV rockets, and which is planned to be used on the Space Launch System Block 1. DCSS consists of a cylindrical liquid hydrogen tank structurally separated from an oblate spheroid liquid oxygen tank. The liquid hydrogen tank cylinder carries payload launch loads, while the liquid oxygen tank and engine are suspended below within the rocket's interstage. The stage is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney RL10B-2 engine, which features an extendable carbon-carbon nozzle to improve specific impulse.[94]

Vulcan Centaur
Main article: Vulcan Centaur
Diagram of the ULA Vulcan Centaur

Vulcan is a heavy-lift launch vehicle that ULA is developing to meet the demands of the NSSL competition and launch program. The rocket is ULA's first launch vehicle design, which is adapting and evolving technologies that were developed for the Atlas V and Delta IV rockets. The first-stage propellant tanks share the diameter of the Delta IV Common Booster Core but will contain liquid methane and liquid oxygen propellants rather than the Delta IV's liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Blue Origin's BE-4 engine was selected to power Vulcan's first stage in September 2018 after a competition with the Aerojet Rocketdyne's AR1.[95] ULA may use the Sensible Modular Autonomous Return Technology (SMART) which seeks to capture and re-use the BE-4 engines.[96]

Vulcan's upper stage will be the Centaur V, an upgraded variant of the Common Centaur/Centaur III that is currently used on the Atlas V. A lengthened version of the Centaur V will be used on the Vulcan Centaur Heavy.[97] ULA plans to eventually upgrade the Centaur V with Integrated Vehicle Fluids technology to become the Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage (ACES).[98] Vulcan is intended to undergo the human-rating certification process to allow the launch of crew in a vehicle such as the Boeing Starliner or a crewed version of the Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser.[99]

Vulcan will have a maximum liftoff thrust of 3.8 million pounds and carry 56,000 pounds to low Earth orbit, 33,000 pounds to a geo-transfer orbit, and 16,000 pounds to geostationary orbit with a heavier payload than any currently available single-core rocket.

ULA is working on the 'Sensible Modular Autonomous Return Technology' (SMART) reuse concept. The booster engines, avionics, and thrust structure would be detached as a module from the propellant tanks after booster engine cutoff, with the module descending through the atmosphere under an inflatable heat shield. After parachute deployment, the module would be captured by a helicopter in mid-air. ULA estimated that this would reduce the cost of the first stage propulsion by 90%, and 65% of the total first stage cost.[100]

The Vulcan rocket, directly and indirectly, provides about 22,000 jobs spread over 46 states.[101]

During the first several years of its development, the ULA board of directors made quarterly funding commitments to Vulcan Centaur development.[102] As of October 2018, the U.S. government had committed approximately US$1.2 billion in a public–private partnership to Vulcan Centaur development, with future funding being dependent on ULA securing an NSSL contract.[103]

By March 2016, the U.S. Air Force had committed up to US$202 million of funding for Vulcan development. At that time, ULA had not yet estimated the total cost of Vulcan development, but CEO Tory Bruno noted that "new rockets typically cost US$2 billion, including US$1 billion for the main engine".[102] In April 2016, ULA Board of Directors member and President of Boeing's Network and Space Systems (N&SS) division Craig Cooning expressed confidence in the possibility of further USAF funding of Vulcan development.[104]

In March 2018, ULA CEO Tory Bruno said that Vulcan-Centaur had been "75% privately funded" up to that time.[105] In October 2018 and following a request for proposals and technical evaluation, ULA was awarded US$967 million to develop a prototype Vulcan launch system as a part of the National Security Space Launch program. Two other providers, Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, were awarded US$500 million and US$792 million in development funding,[103] with detailed proposals and a competitive selection process to follow in 2019. The USAF's goal with the next generation of Launch Service Agreements is to get out of the business of "buying rockets" and move to acquire launch services from launch service providers, but U.S. government funding of launch vehicle development continues.[103]

In August 2020, the U.S. Space Force awarded ULA along with SpaceX a firm, fixed-price indefinite-delivery contract to launch 60% of National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 missions over a 5-year procurement with the next-generation Vulcan Centaur rocket.[106]

In September 2020, ULA announced that ULA is carefully studying a "Vulcan Heavy" variant with three booster cores. Speculation about a new variant had been rampant for months after an image of a model of that version popped on social media. Tory Bruno later tweeted a clearer image of the model and said it was the subject of ongoing study.[107]

Delta II
Main article: Delta II
Ignition of the engines of a Delta II

Delta II was an expendable launch system that was originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas, and was later built by Boeing prior to the formation of ULA. Delta II was part of the Delta rocket family and entered service in 1989. Delta II vehicles included the Delta 6000 and the two later Delta 7000 variants ("Light" and "Heavy"). The rocket flew its final mission ICESat-2 on 15 September 2018. [87][108]

While all completed Delta II rockets have launched, many flight-qualified spare parts remain. These parts will be assembled to create a nearly-complete Delta II, for exhibition in its 7420-10 configuration. The rocket will be displayed vertical at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, and may bear its popular "shark teeth" livery on its fairing, which was painted on past Delta II rockets for the GPS launches.[109]

Launch history
Main articles: Atlas V § Atlas V launches, Delta IV § Delta IV launches, and Vulcan Centaur § Vulcan Centaur launches
5
10
15
20
2006
'07
'08
'09
'10
'11
'12
'13
'14
'15
'16
'17
'18
'19
'20
'21
'22
  •   Success
  •   Partial Failure
  •   Scheduled

2006–2009

The first launch conducted by ULA was a Delta II from Vandenberg Air Force Base on 14 December 2006,[110] carrying the satellite USA-193 for the National Reconnaissance Office.[111][112][113][114] The satellite failed shortly after launch and was intentionally destroyed on 21 February 2008, by an SM-3 missile that was fired from the Ticonderoga class cruiser USS Lake Erie.[115] ULA's first Atlas V launch was in March 2007; it was an Atlas V variant 401 launching six military research satellites for Space Test Program (STP) 1. This mission also performed three burns of the Centaur upper stage; it was the first three-burn mission for Atlas V.

ULA's first commercial mission COSMO-SkyMed was launched on behalf of Italy's Ministry of Defense three months later using a Delta II rocket.[112] On June 15, 2007, the engine in the Centaur upper stage of a ULA-launched Atlas V shut down early, leaving its payload – a pair of NROL-30 ocean surveillance satellites – in a lower than intended orbit.[116] The NRO declared the launch a success.[117]

2007 also saw ULA's first two interplanetary spacecraft launches using the Delta II; the Phoenix probe was launched to Mars in August 2007 and the Dawn satellite to was launched to the asteroids Vesta and Ceres in September 2007.[118][119] Using a Delta II, the WorldView-1 satellite was also launched into a low Earth orbit on behalf of DigitalGlobe. The company's first launch to geostationary transfer orbit using an Atlas V 421 variant carrying the USA-195 (or WGS-1) communications satellite also occurred that year.[112][120] ULA's tenth mission was launching satellite GPS IIR-17 into medium Earth orbit on a Delta II.[112] The company completed its first Delta IV launch using the Delta IV Heavy rocket to place a payload into geosynchronous orbit in November 2007, which was followed by three more launches in December 2007.[112]

2008 saw seven launches, including Atlas V's from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 3E and five others using the Delta II.[112] The Atlas launch carried NROL-28 in March 2008[121] and in September 2008 the GeoEye-1 satellite was orbited by a Delta II rocket.[122] ULA completed eight Delta II, five Atlas V, and three Delta IV launches in 2009.[112] The Delta II launches carried three Space Tracking and Surveillance System satellites over two launches, two Global Positioning System satellites,[123] and the NOAA-19 and WorldView-2 satellites,[124][125] as well as the Kepler and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer space telescopes.[112][126]

The Atlas launches carried the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and LCROSS mission as part of the Lunar Precursor Robotic Program, which was later intentionally crashed into the Moon and found the existence of water;[127] other 2009 Atlas V launches in included Intelsat 14, WGS-2,[120] PAN, and a weather satellite as part of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). The Delta IV rockets carried the NROL-26, GOES 14,[128] and WGS-3 satellites.[112][120]

2010–2014

In 2010, Atlas V launches deployed the Solar Dynamics Observatory, the first Boeing X-37B, the first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite, and the NROL-41. The Delta II system placed the last COSMO-SkyMed and Delta IV launches deployed the GOES 15, GPS Block IIF, and USA-223 satellites.[129][130] ULA completed eleven launches in 2011, including five by Atlas, three by Delta II, and three by Delta IV. The Atlas system orbited another Boeing X-37, two NROL-34 signals intelligence satellites,[131] a Space-Based Infrared System (SBIS) satellite, the Juno spacecraft and Curiosity rover.[129][132] The Delta II launches placed the SAC-D and Suomi NPP satellites into orbit,[133] as well as two spacecraft associated with NASA's GRAIL lunar mission. Delta IV launches carried the NROL-49, NROL-27,[134] and another GPS satellite.[129]

ULA's 2012 launches included six Atlas Vs and four Delta IVs. The Atlas system carried Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) and AEHF satellites, another Boeing X-37, the Intruder and Quasar satellites, and the Van Allen Probes. Delta IVs deployed GPS and WGS satellites USA-233,[135][136] as well as NROL-25[137] and NROL-15 on behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office.[129][138] In 2013, the Atlas flew eight times.[139] The system launched the TDRS-11,[140] Landsat 8, AEHF-3, and NROL-39 satellites, as well as SBIS, GPS, and MUOS satellites, as well as NASA's MAVEN space probe to Mars. Delta IV launches orbited the fifth and sixth Wideband Global SATCOM satellites WGS-5 and WGS-6,[141] as well as NROL-65.[129][135][142] In 2014, ULA's Atlas V orbited the TDRS-12 communications satellite in January,[143] the WorldView-3 commercial satellite in August 2014,[144] and the CLIO communications satellite during September and October 2014.[145] Atlas rockets also carried the satellites DMSP-5D-3/F19, NROL-67, NROL-33, and NROL-35.[145] Delta IV rockets orbited GPS satellites and two Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program satellites, and in July 2014, NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 was carried by a Delta II.[145] Orion's first test flight was launched by a Delta IV Heavy rocket in December 2014, as part of Exploration Flight Test-1.[146]

2015–2019

A Delta II rocket orbited a Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite in January 2015.[147] In March 2015, an Atlas V rocket carried NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission spacecraft,[148] and a Delta IV rocket orbited the GPS IIF-9 satellite on behalf of the U.S. Air Force.[149] The U.S. Air Force's X-37B spaceplane was carried by an Atlas V rocket in May 2015,[150] and a Delta IV orbited the WGS-7 satellite in July 2015.[151] The fourth MUOS satellite was orbited by an Atlas V in September 2015.[152] ULA's 100th consecutive successful liftoff was completed on 2 October 2015, when an Atlas V rocket orbited a Mexican Satellite System communications satellite on behalf of the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation.[146] The classified NROL-55 satellite was launched by an Atlas V rocket several days later.[153] Atlas V rockets launched GPS Block IIF satellites and the Cygnus cargo spacecraft in November 2015 and December 2015, respectively.[154][155]

In 2016, Delta IV rockets carried the NROL-45 satellite and Air Force Space Command 6 mission in February 2016 and August 2016, respectively.[156][157] During a launch of the Atlas V rocket on 22 March 2016, a minor first-stage anomaly led to shutdown of the first-stage engine approximately five seconds before anticipated. The Centaur upper stage was able to compensate by firing for approximately one minute longer than planned using its reserved fuel margin.[158][159] Atlas V rockets carried MUOS-5 in June 2016,[160] NROL-61 satellites in July 2016,[161] and the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft in September 2016.[162]

ULA launched multiple satellites in late 2016. The weather satellite Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) was carried in November 2016,[163][164] as was the WorldView-4 imaging satellite.[165] In December 2016, the Wideband Global SATCOM's eighth satellite WGS-8 was launched on a Delta IV Medium rocket,[164][166] and an Atlas V carried the EchoStar XIX communications satellite on behalf of Hughes Communications.[167] In March 2017, WGS-9 was orbited by a Delta IV.[168][169] Atlas V rockets carried NRO satellites,[170][171][172] TDRS-M,[173] and a Cygnus cargo capsule in 2017.[174] The weather satellite NOAA-20 (JPSS-1) was launched by a Delta II rocket in November 2017.[175][176]

Launch of InSight
Parker Solar Probe Launch

An Atlas V carried the SBIRS-GEO 4 military satellite in January 2018.[177] The Atlas V's launch of NASA's InSight to Mars in 2018 was the first interplanetary probe to depart from the U.S. West Coast.[178] In August 2018, a Delta IV Heavy launched Parker Solar Probe, NASA's solar space probe that will visit and study the sun's outer corona in August 2018.[179] It was also the Delta IV Heavy with a Star-48BV kick stage,[180] and the highest-ever spacecraft velocity.[181] The company launched the final Delta II rocket, carrying ICESat-2 from Vandenberg Air Force Base SLC-2 on 15 September 2018. This marks the last launch of a Delta family rocket based on the original Thor IRBM.[108] On 22 August 2019, ULA launched its last Delta IV Medium rocket for the GPS III Magellan project.[182] An Atlas V carried Boeing's Starliner Orbital Flight Test (OFT) mission for NASA in December 2019.[183]

2020
Solar Orbiter launch closeup

In 2020, an Atlas V carried the Solar Orbiter spacecraft, an international collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA to provide a new global view of the Sun.[184] In March 2020, an Atlas V also launched Advanced Extremely High Frequency 6 (AEHF-6), the first U.S. Space Force National Security Mission.[185][186] In May 2020, ULA launched an Atlas V rocket carrying the USSF-7 mission with the X-37B spaceplane for the U.S Space Force and the mission honors victims of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as first responders, health professionals, military personnel, and other essential workers.[187] On 30 July 2020, Atlas V in the 541 configuration successfully launched Perseverance and Ingenuity as part of Mars 2020 towards Mars.[188] In November 2020, ULA launched NROL-101, a top secret spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office, on board their Atlas V in a 531 configuration. This launch was notable because it was the first flight of the GEM-63 solid rocket boosters, a version of which will be used on their Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle.[189]

In late 2020, ULA won a contract to launch and provide in-flight refueling for the Dynetics lunar lander. Initially, refueling will be provided by launching additional rockets to carry fuel. Each lunar mission will include two other Vulcan Centuar launches. The propellant from the upper stages of these rockets will be transferred to the Dynetics lander. ULA will significantly increase its launch pace of refueling rockets to minimize the boil-off of cryogenic fuel. The in-space refueling capability will be tested in low-Earth orbit before any lunar missions take place.[190]

Infrastructure

Launch facilities
ULA's Horizontal Integration Facility at CCAFS in February 2018

ULA operates orbital launch sites at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc, California. In Florida, ULA has used Space Launch Complex 41 for Atlas V launches since its maiden flight in August 2002,[191][192] and Launch Complex 37 for Delta IV launches since the rocket's maiden flight in November 2002.[193][194] The company had two launch pads at Vandenberg as of November 2020. These include Space Launch Complex 3 for Atlas launches[195][196] and Space Launch Complex 6 for Delta IV and Delta IV Heavy launches.[197][198] Space Launch Complex 2 is no longer in active use by ULA since the retirement of the Delta II in September 2018.[199]

Launches from Cape Canaveral typically head east to give satellites extra momentum from the rotation of the Earth as they head to other planets or into an equatorial orbit. Vandenberg Air Force Base is the primary U.S. launch site from which satellites are sent into polar orbits. Commercial and military spacecraft like imaging and weather satellites need to be launched southward on a path to reach a polar orbit to cover the entire globe.[200] ULA's Atlas V rocket launched NASA's InSight mission to Mars from the West Coast in 2018, the first interplanetary mission to do so.[201]

In 2015, as part of the company's transition from the Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles to the Vulcan Centaur, ULA announced plans to reduce the number of launch pads in use from five to two by the early 2020s.[35]

ULA works closely with the 45th Weather Squadron on its launches from Florida.[202]

Headquarters and manufacturing
ULA's headquarters building in Centennial, Colorado

ULA's headquarters in Centennial, Colorado, are responsible for program management, rocket engineering, testing, and launch support functions.[203] ULA's largest factory is 1.6×10^6 sq ft (150,000 m2) and located in Decatur, Alabama.[204] A factory in Harlingen, Texas, fabricates and assembles components for the Atlas V rocket.[205] In 2015, the company announced the opening of an engineering and propulsion test center in Pueblo, Colorado.[206]

Spaceflight Processing Operations Center

The Spaceflight Processing Operations Center (SPOC), located near SLC-40 and SLC-41, is used to construct the mobile launcher platform for the Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle. It also serve as a storage room for the Atlas Mobile launcher platform (MLP).[207] On 6 August 2019, the first two parts of Vulcan's MLP were transported to the SPOC.[208] SPOC was formerly known as the Solid Motor Assembly and Readiness Facility (SMARF) during its support of the Titan IVB launch vehicle; it was renamed during Vulcan Centaur's topping ceremony in October 2019.[207]

Cislunar 1000 Vision

The Cislunar 1000 Vision is a plan created by ULA to create an economy on the Moon and in Earth orbit with 1,000 people living and working in space. A key part of the roadmap is a more powerful version of the Centaur rocket stage, ACES.[209]

ACES was originally going to be the last stage of the Vulcan Centaur. ULA has stopped work on ACES but will use what it learned in the Vulcan Centaur program and other initiatives. ACES was designed for reusability and in situ refueling. It is thought that water collected on the moon or asteroids might be processed to generate the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fuel used by ACES. ACES relied on a technology called Integrated Vehicle Fluids (IVF). IVF is an auxiliary power unit not unlike those used on aircraft centered on an internal combustion engine that uses waste hydrogen and oxygen that boils off of cryogenic tanks. IVF reduces weight and cost by reducing the need for helium, hydrazine, and batteries. IVF produces electric power, maintains stage attitude, and helps keep propellant tanks autogenously pressurized. IVF will extend mission lifetimes from hours to days. The internal combustion engine to be used to power the IVF system on ACES would have been produced by Roush Racing.[209]

The Cislunar Vision 1000 also includes plans for a tanker called XEUS that will be able to land on the moon to be stocked with fuel to a gravitationally stable "liberation point" in the Earth-Moon system known as L1. Producing fuel in space will allow for dramatically cheaper space travel.[209]

ULA is itself willing to become a customer for in-space refueling. It previously announced a willingness to pay US$3,000 per kilogram for fuel delivered in low Earth orbit, US$500 per kilogram on the lunar surface, and US$1,000 per kilogram at L1. ULA believes it will need off-Earth propellant supplies sometime in the 2020s.[209]

See also
Past Launch Vehicles
Other Launch Service Providers

References
  1. "About ULA". United Launch Alliance. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  2. "United Launch Alliance plans layoffs". Denver Business Journal. 14 November 2008. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  3. "SpaceX breaks Boeing-Lockheed monopoly on military space launches". Reuters. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  4. Justin Ray (23 November 2009). "Atlas 5 launches Intelsat communications satellite". Spaceflight Now.
  5. Gruss, Mike (13 April 2015). "ULA's Next Rocket to Be Named Vulcan". SpaceNews. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  6. Grush, Loren (27 September 2018). "Military's primary launch provider picks Blue Origin's new engine for future rocket". The Verge. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  7. Neal, Mihir (8 June 2020). "Vulcan on track as ULA eyes early-2021 test flight to the Moon". Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  8. Butler, Amy (11 May 2015). "Industry Team Hopes To Resurrect Atlas V Post RD-180". Aviation Week & Space Technology. Archived from the original on 12 May 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  9. "Boeing, Lockheed Martin to Form Launch Services Joint Venture". United Launch Alliance. 2 May 2005. Archived from the original on 17 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  10. "Is SpaceX Undercutting the Competition Even More Than Anyone Thought?". Fortune Magazine. 17 June 2017.
  11. "FTC gives clearance to United Launch Alliance". Spaceflight Now. 3 October 2006.
  12. "Federal Register. Vol. 71, No. 197" (PDF). govinfo.gov. 12 October 2006. Retrieved 7 May 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  13. Mergers and acquisitions: understanding the antitrust issues. Schlossberg, Robert S., American Bar Association. Section of Antitrust Law. (3rd ed.). Chicago, Illinois: ABA, Section of Antitrust Law. 2008. ISBN 978-1-60442-046-3. OCLC 213864774.CS1 maint: others (link)
  14. Erwin, Sandra; Henry, Caleb (24 January 2018). "To stay competitive in the launch business, ULA courts commercial customers". SpaceNews. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  15. Graham, William (2 July 2014). "ULA Delta II successfully lofts OCO-2 to orbit". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  16. Avery, Greg (5 August 2009). "ULA seeks land for a combined HQ". Denver Business Journal. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  17. "United Launch Alliance Joins the Commercial Spaceflight Federation - Commercial Spaceflight Federation". commercialspaceflight.org. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  18. "Membership - Commercial Spaceflight Federation". 13 May 2014. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  19. Berger, Eric (2 August 2017). "How America's two greatest rocket companies battled from the beginning". Ars Technica. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  20. "National Security Space Launch at a Crossroads" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. 13 May 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  21. Leopold, George (April 2014). "SpaceX launches protest of Air Force rocket contract". Defense Systems.
  22. Gurss, Mike (May 2014). "Responding to Critics, ULA Discloses Pricing Information". SpaceNews.
  23. "United Launch Alliance Taps a Lockheed Executive To Replace CEO Gass". SpaceNews. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  24. Ferster, Warren (17 September 2014). "ULA To Invest in Blue Origin Engine as RD-180 Replacement". SpaceNews. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  25. Petersen, Melody (12 December 2014). "Congress OKs bill banning purchases of Russian-made rocket engines". L.A. Times. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2014. Costs of launching military satellites has skyrocketed under contracts the Air Force has given to United Launch Alliance. The average cost for each launch using rockets from Boeing and Lockheed has soared to US$420 million, according to an analysis by the Government Accountability Office.
  26. Avery, Greg (16 October 2014). "ULA plans new rocket, restructuring to cut launch costs in half". Denver Business Journal. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  27. Avery, Greg (16 October 2014). "ULA plans new rocket, restructuring to cut launch costs in half". Denver Business Journal. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  28. Delgado, Laura M. (14 November 2014). "ULA's Tory Bruno Vows To Transform Company". SpacePolicyOnline.com. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  29. Pasztor, Andy (17 September 2015). "U.S. Rocket Supplier Looks to Break 'Short Leash'". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015. "The aerospace giants [Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp.] shared almost US$500 million in equity profits from the rocket-making venture last year, when it still had a monopoly on the business of blasting the Pentagon's most important satellites into orbit. But since then, 'they've had us on a very short leash', Tory Bruno, United Launch's chief executive", said.
  30. Avery, Greg (16 October 2014). "ULA plans new rocket, restructuring to cut launch costs in half". Denver Business Journal. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  31. Delgado, Laura M. (14 November 2014). "ULA's Tory Bruno Vows To Transform Company". SpacePolicyOnline.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  32. Gruss, Mike (13 April 2015). "ULA's Vulcan Rocket To be Rolled out in Stages". SpaceNews. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  33. Gruss, Mike (10 March 2016). "ULA's parent companies still support Vulcan ... with caution". SpaceNews. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  34. Avery, Greg (16 April 2015). "The fate of United Launch Alliance and its Vulcan rocket may lie with Congress". Denver Business Journal. Archived from the original on 10 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  35. Butler, Amy (17 February 2015). "Aerospace Daily & Defense Report New Rocket, White Tails In ULA's Long-Term Strategy". Aviation Week. Archived from the original on 5 June 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2015. "[the] plan to field a new rocket engine with Blue Origin called the BE-4 is only step one of a larger strategic plan to take the company from a sole-source benefactor mentality to competing in a burgeoning commercial market ... The Atlas V and Delta IV ... both have a limited future".
  36. Bruno, Salvatore T. "Tory" (26 June 2015). "Testimony to the House Committee on Armed Services" (PDF). U.S. House of Representatives Document Repository. Office of the Clerk. Retrieved 23 September 2016. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  37. "National Security Space Launch at a Crossroads" (PDF). Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  38. Fleischauer, Eric (7 February 2015). "ULA's CEO talks challenges, engine plant plans for Decatur". Decatur Daily. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  39. "Nelson shepherds RD-180 compromise through U.S. Senate". spacenews.com. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  40. "Lockheed-Boeing rocket venture needs commercial orders to survive". yahoo.com. 21 May 2015.
  41. Shalal, Andrea (15 May 2015). "Lockheed-Boeing venture lays off 12 executives in major reorganization". Reuters. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  42. Shalal, Andrea (21 May 2015). "Lockheed-Boeing rocket venture needs commercial orders to survive". Reuters. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  43. de Selding, Peter B. (16 March 2016). "ULA intends to lower its costs, and raise its cool, to compete with SpaceX". SpaceNews. Retrieved 19 March 2016. A de facto monopoly was born with U.S. government blessing and with a series of lucrative U.S. government contracts whose principal goal was reliability and capability, not value for money.
  44. deSelding, Peter B. (17 March 2016). "ULA VP resigns following remarks on company's competitive position, strategy". SpaceNews. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  45. Berger, Brian (16 March 2016). "ULA chief disavows his head engineer's take on Vulcan engine competition". SpaceNews. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  46. Berger, Brian (18 March 2016). "McCain calls for investigation of fired ULA executive's controversial comments". SpaceNews. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  47. Gould, Joe; Seligman, Laura (18 March 2016). "Carter Asks IG To Look Into "Disturbing" ULA Exec Comments on McCain". Defense News. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  48. Shalal, Andrea (18 March 2016). "Pentagon to investigate comments by former executive at rocket firm". Reuters. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  49. "ULA debuts online pricing tool for Atlas launches". spacenews.com. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  50. "ULA's Updated RocketBuilder Site: ULA". 7 May 2020. Archived from the original on 7 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  51. Bennett, Jay (3 October 2016). "Does SpaceX Really Think Someone Sniped Its Rocket?". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  52. plarson (1 September 2016). "Anomaly Updates". spacex.com. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  53. Berger, Eric (15 June 2017). "Air Force budget reveals how much SpaceX undercuts launch prices". Ars Technica. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  54. "Department of Defense Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Budget Estimates" (PDF). Saffm.hq.af.mil. May 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  55. "United Launch Alliance Assumes Marketing and Sales for Atlas V Commercial Launches from Lockheed Martin". United Launch Alliance. 22 January 2018. Archived from the original on 17 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019. United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced today that it has assumed responsibility for the marketing and sales of Atlas V, the world's most reliable launch vehicle, from Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services. In addition to performing all of the operational activities related to Atlas V launch services, as ULA has done since its formation in 2006, ULA now has the full authority to market and sell Atlas V launch services to commercial customers.
  56. "Boeing executive to become ULA chief operating officer". SpaceNews. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  57. "Biography - John Elbon" (PDF). ULA corporate website.
  58. Berger, Eric (16 March 2020). "The virus has gone global — so what happens to the launch industry?". Ars Technica. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  59. Thompson, Lauren (17 September 2019). "When It Comes To Military Launches, SpaceX May No Longer Be The Low-Cost Provider". Forbes. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  60. Erwin, Sandra (15 September 2020). "Tory Bruno reveals Chinese company tried to infiltrate ULA's supply chain". SpaceNews. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  61. "United Launch Alliance Set to Launch AEHF-4 for U.S. Air Force". finance.yahoo.com. Yahoo Finance. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  62. Awesome Atlas delivers next-gen high-speed Echostar 19 internet sat to orbit for America. Ken Kremer, PhysOrg 19 December 2016
  63. Graham, William (14 April 2018). "ULA Atlas V successfully launches with AFSPC-11". NASASpaceflight. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  64. Ray, Justin (4 March 2015). "Could Delta rockets soon be a thing of the past?". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  65. Gruss, Mike (13 April 2015). "ULA's Vulcan Rocket to be Rolled out in Stages". SpaceNews. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  66. Gruss, Mike (3 March 2015). "ULA Targets 2018 for Delta 4 Phase-out, Seeks Relaxation of RD-180 Ban". SpaceNews. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  67. "Astrobotic Selects United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur Rocket to Launch its First Mission to the Moon". ULALaunch. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  68. "Atlas V Launch Services User's Guide" (PDF). Centennial, CO: United Launch Alliance. March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  69. Clark, Stephen (6 November 2019). "ULA begins stacking unique Atlas 5 rocket for Starliner test flight". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  70. Grush, Loren (14 August 2019). "Sierra Nevada picks the future Vulcan rocket to fly its mini-spaceplane to orbit". The Verge. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  71. "SNC Selects ULA for Dream Chaser® Spacecraft Launches: NASA Missions to Begin in 2021". ULALaunch. 14 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  72. Gruss, Mike (13 April 2015). "ULA's Vulcan Rocket To be Rolled out in Stages". SpaceNews. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  73. "United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches NROL-101 Mission in Support of National Security". ula.bsshost.me. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  74. Erwin, Sandra (11 September 2020). "Atlas 5 to fly Northrop Grumman's solid boosters in upcoming launch of NRO satellite". SpaceNews. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  75. Berger, Eric (11 December 2018). "Getting Vulcan up to speed: Part one of our interview with Tory Bruno". Ars Technica. Retrieved 12 December 2018. Centaur 3 (which flies on the Atlas V rocket) is 3.8 meters in diameter. The very first Centaur we fly on Vulcan will go straight to 5.4 meters in diameter.
  76. Gruss, Mike (13 April 2015). "ULA's Vulcan Rocket To be Rolled out in Stages". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  77. "Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 Propulsion System" (PDF). Aerojet Rocketdyne. March 2019.
  78. Wade, Mark (17 November 2011). "RL-10A-1". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 15 November 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  79. Gebhardt, Chris (19 December 2019). "Boeing, ULA launches Starliner, suffers orbital insertion issue - will return home Sunday". NASASpaceflight. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  80. "Dual Engine Centaur returns to service for Starliner launches". www.ulalaunch.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  81. "Atlas V Cutaway" (PDF). United Launch Alliance. 2019.
  82. Clark, Stephen (19 December 2019). "Starliner test flight to use special Atlas 5 configuration, unusual launch trajectory". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  83. Erwin, Sandra (5 August 2019). "Upcoming Atlas 5 mission will launch Air Force CubeSat before it releases main payload". SpaceNews. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  84. "Delta IV". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  85. KSC, Charlie Plain. "NASA - Countdown 101: Delta IV". nasa.gov. Retrieved 15 August 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  86. Grush, Loren. "Watch as ULA launches the final flight of its Delta IV Medium rocket". The Verge. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  87. Bartels, Meghan (13 September 2018). "Meet the Delta Rocket Family of the United Launch Alliance". Space.com. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  88. Staff (30 April 2016). "Fuel Control Valve Faulted for Atlas Launch Anomaly". Universe Today. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  89. Gebhardt, Chris (22 August 2019). "Delta IV Medium's well-earned retirement with GPS finale". NASASpaceflight. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  90. "Historical Snapshot: Delta Rockets". Boeing. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  91. "Delta Launch 310 – Delta IV Heavy Demo Media Kit - Delta Growth Options" (PDF). Boeing. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2012.
  92. "Delta IV Payload Planners Guide" (PDF). United Launch Alliance. September 2007. pp. 1–7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2011.
  93. US Air Force - EELV Fact Sheets Archived April 27, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  94. Robert A. Braeunig (2 November 2009). "Space Launchers — Delta". Rocket and Space Technology. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  95. "United Launch Alliance Building Rocket of the Future with Industry-Leading Strategic Partnerships". 28 September 2018.
  96. Klotz, Irene (17 April 2020). "Economics of Rocket Reuse Still Up in the Air". Aviation Week & Space Technology. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  97. "Vulcan Centaur Cutaway Poster" (PDF). ULA. November 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  98. Bruno, Tory (10 October 2017). "Building on a successful record in space to meet the challenges ahead". SpaceNews.
  99. Tory Bruno. "@A_M_Swallow @ULA_ACES We intend to human rate Vulcan/ACES". twitter.com. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  100. Ray, Justin (14 April 2015). "ULA chief explains reusability and innovation of new rocket". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  101. Howard, Courtney (22 October 2018). "ULA selects Blue Origin advanced booster engine for Vulcan Centaur rocket system". SAE. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  102. Gruss, Mike (10 March 2016). "ULA's parent companies still support Vulcan … with caution". SpaceNews. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  103. Erwin, Sandra (10 October 2018). "Air Force awards launch vehicle development contracts to Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, ULA". SpaceNews. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  104. Host, Pat (12 April 2016). "Cooning Confident Air Force Will Invest In Vulcan Development". Defense Daily. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  105. Erwin, Sandra (25 March 2018). "Air Force stakes future on privately funded launch vehicles. Will the gamble pay off?". SpaceNews. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  106. Erwin, Sandra (9 August 2020). "Air Force to end agreements with Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman, prepares for launch contract protests". SpaceNews. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  107. Foust, Jeff (11 September 2020). "ULA studying long-term upgrades to Vulcan". SpaceNews. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  108. "Delta II concludes amazing legacy with ICESat-2 launch". nasaspaceflight.com. NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  109. "Leftover Delta 2 rocket to go on display at Kennedy Space Center". spaceflightnow.com. Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  110. "United Launch Alliance set for takeoff". Metro Denver EDC.
  111. "DoD Succeeds In Intercepting Non-Functioning Satellite" (Press release). U.S. Department of Defense. 20 February 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2009. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  112. Graham, William; Bergin, Chris (18 September 2013). "United Launch Alliance celebrate 75 launch milestone". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  113. Bergin, Chris (15 June 2015). "TRMM spacecraft completes destructive re-entry over South Indian Ocean". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  114. Jones, Sam (20 November 2015). "Satellite wars". Financial Times. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  115. "DoD Succeeds In Intercepting Non-Functioning Satellite" (Press release). U.S. Department of Defense. 20 February 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2009. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  116. "NRO Shortfall May Delay Upcoming ULA Missions". Aviation Week.
  117. "NRO L-30 Launch Update" (PDF). National Reconnaissance Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2013. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  118. Graham, William (5 May 2018). "Atlas V launches first West Coast interplanetary mission with InSight spacecraft to Mars". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018. Launched by a Delta II rocket in August 2007, Phoenix touched down on Mars on 25 May 2008.
  119. Wall, Mike (29 September 2017). "Happy Anniversary, Dawn! Record-Setting NASA Probe Marks 10 Years in Space". Space.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018. NASA's Dawn spacecraft launched atop a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket on 27 September 2007
  120. Graham, William (18 March 2017). "ULA Delta IV successfully launches WGS-9". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  121. Graham, William (12 December 2014). "Atlas V launches NROL-35 out of Vandenberg". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  122. Shalal-Esa, Andrea (6 September 2008). "GeoEye launches high-resolution satellite". Reuters. Retrieved 16 July 2018. An United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket, on behalf of Boeing Launch Services, blasts off at 11:50:57 PDT (14:50:57 EDT) with the GeoEye-1 satellite from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, September 6, 2008.
  123. Graham, William (17 August 2009). "Last GPS IIR satellite launched on final SLC-17A Delta II". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  124. "ULA Delta II launches on third attempt with NASA's NOAA-N Prime". NASASpaceflight.com. 4 February 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2018. A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket has launched with the NASA NOAA-N Prime spacecraft at the third attempt to launch from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California – at 02:22 a.m. PST – following two scrubs due to technical issues.
  125. Bergin, Chris (18 November 2017). "Delta II launches on penultimate mission with JPSS-1". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  126. Graham, William (14 December 2009). "ULA Delta II successfully launches with WISE". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  127. "LCROSS Impact Data Indicates Water on Moon". NASA. 13 November 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  128. Graham, William (27 June 2009). "Delta IV launches with GOES-O weather satellite". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018. The launch of an United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket, carrying the GOES-O weather satellite for the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has launched on Saturday, following Friday's scrub due to unacceptable weather.
  129. Graham, William; Bergin, Chris (18 September 2013). "United Launch Alliance celebrate 75 launch milestone". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  130. Graham, William (21 November 2010). "Delta IV Heavy launches with NROL-32". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018. The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV vehicle has launched the classified NROL-32 payload for the United States National Reconnaissance Office from Space Launch Complex 37B, Cape Canaveral, at 17:58 EST.
  131. Graham, William (14 April 2011). "ULA Atlas V launches with NROL-34 payload". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  132. Graham, William (5 August 2011). "ULA Atlas V launches NASA's Juno on a path to Jupiter". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018. United Launch Alliance (ULA) have launched their Atlas V carrying NASA's Juno probe on its way to Jupiter on Friday.
  133. Graham, William (10 June 2011). "ULA Delta II launches with the SAC-D spacecraft". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018. The United Launch Alliance (ULA) have launched their Delta II rocket to loft the SAC-D spacecraft into orbit for the Argentine space agency, CONAE, on Friday.
  134. Graham, William (11 March 2011). "Delta IV dodges upper level winds and launches with NROL-27 satellite". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  135. Graham, William (24 May 2013). "ULA Delta IV successfully lofts WGS-5 satellite". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  136. Graham, William (19 January 2012). "ULA Delta IV successfully launches the fourth WGS spacecraft". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018. United Launch Alliance have conducted the United States' first orbital launch of the year on Thursday, when their Delta IV launched with the fourth Wideband Global Satcom spacecraft.
  137. Graham, William (3 April 2012). "ULA Delta IV launches the NROL-25 military satellite from VAFB". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018. A new Delta IV configuration has made its first flight Tuesday, carrying the NROL-25 payload for the United States National Reconnaissance Office.
  138. "Delta IV Heavy launches NROL-15 from Cape Canaveral". NASASpaceflight.com. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2018. The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket has made its twentieth launch Friday morning from Space Launch Complex 37B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, carrying the classified NROL-15 payload for the United States National Reconnaissance Office.
  139. Graham, William (29 October 2014). "ULA Atlas V successfully launches with GPS IIF-8 satellite". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  140. Graham, William (30 January 2013). "ULA Altas V successfully launches with TDRS-K". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  141. Graham, William (7 August 2013). "ULA Delta IV launches with WGS-6 satellite". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  142. "United Launch Alliance chief says he wants to develop a fleet of "space trucks" to ferry people between Earth and moon". The Denver Post. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  143. Graham, William (23 January 2014). "ULA opens 2014 campaign with Atlas V launch of TDRS-L". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018. United Launch Alliance successfully conducted their first mission of 2014 Thursday evening, with an Atlas V deploying NASA's latest Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-L.
  144. WorldView-3 Graham, William (13 August 2014). "ULA Atlas V launches WorldView-3 satellite out of Vandenberg". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018. United Launch Alliance (ULA) conducted a commercial Atlas V launch on Wednesday on behalf of Lockheed Martin, orbiting DigitalGlobe's WorldView-3 imaging satellite. "WorldView-3 Satellite Will Upgrade Google's Earth Images". NBC News. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  145. Graham, William (12 December 2014). "Atlas V launches NROL-35 out of Vandenberg". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  146. Wall, Mike (2 October 2015). "Dazzling Rocket Launch Marks 100th Liftoff for United Launch Alliance". Space.com. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  147. Kramer, Miriam (31 January 2015). "NASA Launches Satellite to Get the Dirt on Earth's Dirt". Space.com. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  148. Graham, William (12 March 2015). "MMS successfully launched by ULA's Atlas V". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 17 July 2018. Cofield, Calla (13 March 2015). "Spectacular Night Launch Sends NASA Satellites on Hunt for Magnetic Collisions". Space.com. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  149. Graham, William (25 March 2015). "ULA Delta IV successfully launches GPS IIF-9". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 17 July 2018. Wall, Mike. "US Air Force Launches Advanced GPS Satellite into Orbit". Space.com. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  150. Wall, Mike (20 May 2015). "US Air Force Launches X-37B Space Plane on 4th Mystery Mission". Space.com. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  151. Gruss, Mike (23 July 2015). "Delta 4 Launches 7th WGS satellite". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  152. Dean, James (2 September 2015). "Atlas V delivers military satellite to orbit". USA Today. Retrieved 17 July 2018 – via Florida Today. Powers, Scott (2 September 2015). "Atlas V liftoff creates cloud of confusion". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  153. "Launch Photos: NROL-55 Spy Satellite and Cubesats Blast Off". Space.com. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  154. Gruss, Mike (2 November 2015). "U.S. Air Force Launches 11th GPS 2F Satellite". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  155. "Rocket carries US supplies to International Space Station". BBC News. 7 December 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2018. Lewin, Sarah (6 December 2015). "Cygnus Spaceship Launch Restarts Orbital ATK Cargo Missions for NASA". Space.com. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  156. Graham, William (9 February 2016). "ULA Delta IV launches with NROL-45". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  157. Graham, William (19 August 2016). "ULA Delta IV successfully launches AFSPC-6 mission". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  158. Ray, Justin (24 March 2016). "Atlas 5 rocket forced to improvise during Tuesday's climb to orbit". SpaceFlight Now. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  159. "United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft for NASA". United Launch Alliance. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  160. Cofield, Calla (24 June 2016). "Military Satellite Launched Into Orbit by United Launch Alliance". Space.com. Retrieved 17 July 2018. Gruss, Mike (24 June 2016). "Atlas 5 returns to flight with launch of Navy's MUOS-5". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  161. Wall, Mike (28 July 2016). "New American Spy Satellite Launches on Secret Mission". Space.com. Retrieved 17 July 2018. Gruss, Mike (28 July 2016). "Atlas 5 launches NRO mission from the Cape". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  162. Wall, Mike (8 September 2016). "Next Stop, Bennu! NASA Launches Bold Asteroid-Sampling Mission". Space.com. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  163. Wall, Mike (20 November 2016). "Next-generation weather satellite launches to begin forecasting "revolution"". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  164. Santana, Marco (7 December 2016). "Delta IV rocket carrying Air Force satellite launches from Cape Canaveral". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  165. Graham, William (10 November 2016). "Atlas V launches WorldView-4 out of Vandenberg". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018. The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket – interrupted by a wildfire – finally conducted a rare commercial launch on Friday, tasked with orbiting the WorldView-4 Earth-imaging satellite in a mission from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
  166. Graham, William (7 December 2016). "ULA Delta IV launches WGS-8 satellite". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018. United Launch Alliance (ULA) has launched a Delta IV rocket on Wednesday evening, carrying the eighth satellite in the U.S. Air Force's Wideband Global Satcom system.
  167. Graham, William (18 December 2016). "Atlas V completes ULA's 2016 with EchoStar XIX launch". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018. United Launch Alliance launched its last Atlas V rocket of 2016 Sunday, deploying the EchoStar XIX commercial communications satellite for Hughes Network Systems. Dean, James (18 December 2016). "Atlas V rocket launches EchoStar 19 satellite". Florida Today. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  168. Graham, William (18 March 2017). "ULA Delta IV successfully launches WGS-9". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  169. Harwood, William (18 March 2017). "Delta 4 rocket launches powerful military satellite". CBS News. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  170. Harwood, William (1 March 2017). "Atlas 5 rocket launches secret military payload". CBS News. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  171. Etherington, Darrell (1 March 2017). "United Launch Alliance successfully launches an Atlas V with U.S. reconnaissance satellite on board". TechCrunch. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  172. Hardwood, William (15 October 2017). "Fifth time's the charm for Atlas rocket and NRO". CBS News. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  173. Graham, William. "ULA Atlas V launches TDRS-M out of Cape Canaveral". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  174. Klotz, Irene (18 April 2017). "Atlas V Rocket Launches Private Cygnus Cargo Ship to Space Station". Space.com. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  175. Bergin, Chris (18 November 2017). "Delta II launches on penultimate mission with JPSS-1". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  176. Harwood, William (18 November 2017). "NASA launches powerful polar weather satellite". CBS News. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  177. Graham, William (19 January 2018). "Atlas V launches with SBIRS GEO-4". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018. United Launch Alliance's Atlas V has launched on her seventy-fifth flight, lofting the SBIRS GEO-4, a missile early warning satellite.
  178. Graham, William (5 May 2018). "Atlas V launches first West Coast interplanetary mission with InSight spacecraft to Mars". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  179. Bartels, Meghan (12 August 2018). "Launch Photos! NASA's Parker Solar Probe Blasts Off to Touch the Sun". Space.com. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  180. Clark, Stephen (18 March 2015). "Delta 4-Heavy selected for launch of solar probe". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  181. "NASA Press Kit: Parker Solar Probe" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 15 August 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  182. "United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches GPS III Satellite for U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center". ulalaunch.com.
  183. Wall, Mike (18 December 2019). "Boeing's 1st Starliner and Atlas V Rocket Arrive at Pad for Friday Launch". Space.com. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  184. Thompson, Amy (10 February 2020). "Solar Orbiter launches on historic mission to study the sun's poles". Space.com. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  185. Erwin, Sandra (26 March 2020). "ULA's Atlas 5 launches AEHF-6 communications satellite in its first mission for U.S. Space Force". SpaceNews. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  186. Thompson, Amy (26 March 2020). "US launches advanced satellite in 1st Space Force national security mission". Space.com. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  187. Cross, Theresa (17 May 2020). "ULA Successfully Launches Atlas V, X-37B Spaceplane". Spaceflight Insider. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  188. Gebhardt, Chris (29 July 2020). "Perseverance, Ingenuity begin seven month journey to Mars". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  189. Graham, William. "Atlas V successfully launches NROL-101". NASA. Retrieved 22 November 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  190. Grush, Loren (30 April 2020). "NASA picks SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Dynetics to create landers to take humans to the Moon". The Verge. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  191. Graham, William (29 August 2012). "Atlas V launches at the third attempt with RBSP spacecraft". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  192. Graham, William (15 October 2017). "Atlas V successfully launches with NROL-52". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  193. Graham, William (18 March 2017). "ULA Delta IV successfully launches WGS-9". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  194. Graham, William (27 May 2010). "Delta IV finally launches with GPS IIF SV-1 following scrubs". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  195. Howell, Elizabeth (9 April 2018). "Atlas V: Reliable, Flexible Rocket". Space.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  196. Graham, William (14 April 2018). "ULA Atlas V successfully launches with AFSPC-11". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  197. Howell, Elizabeth (21 September 2016). "Vandenberg: West Coast Launch Site". Space.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  198. Graham, William (12 January 2018). "ULA Delta IV successfully launches NROL-47". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  199. Foust, Jeff. "Firefly Aerospace to take over Vandenberg Delta 2 pad". SpaceNews. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  200. Dean, James (31 December 2017). "Southbound? Cape rockets may fly new path toward poles". Florida Today. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  201. Graham, William (5 May 2018). "Atlas V launches first West Coast interplanetary mission with InSight spacecraft to Mars". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  202. Speck, Emilee. "With weather improving, ULA will try again to launch national security payload". Graham Media Group. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  203. Avery, Greg (5 April 2010). "United Launch Alliance to stay in Centennial area at expanded HQ campus". Denver Business Journal. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  204. Clines, Keith (26 February 2017). "ULA rocket plant a boost to Decatur's image". The Decatur Daily. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  205. Kelley, Rick (14 April 2017). "ULA to cut workforce by 875 workers". Valley Morning Star. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  206. Wallace, Alicia (24 July 2015). "Pueblo lands United Launch Alliance rocket R&D operation". The Denver Post. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  207. "Construction milestone achieved for Vulcan's launch platform". ulalaunch.com. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  208. @ToryBruno (6 August 2019). "Mighty Atlas is not the only thing rolling at the Cape today. Check the new Vulcan MLP arrival" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  209. David, Leonard (29 June 2016). "Inside ULA's Plan to Have 1,000 People Working in Space by 2045". Space.com. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.