Mary-Louise Hoffman
United Launch Alliance will announce on Wednesday a collaboration with Blue Origin to develop and offer a rocket engine for U.S. space programs, Reuters reported Monday.
Andrea Shalal writes the partnership seeks to replace Russian-made RD-180 engines that are used on ULA’s Atlas V rockets to lift off U.S. military satellites.
Frank Kendall, the Defense Department acquisition chief, said the agency is considering a joint government-industry development program to reduce the nation’s reliance on engines produced by Russia, according to Reuters.
ULA is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, which is one of four companies pursuing NASA‘s commercial space taxi program.
NASA could announce on Tuesday the winning contractors to help the agency transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station, according to Shalal’s article.
