EELV Contracts: After the Merger

20-Oct-2009 10:31 EDT  |  Related Stories: Americas - USA, Boeing, Contracts - Awards, Launch Facilities, Launch Vehicles, Lockheed Martin, Satellites & Sensors, Spotlight articles

Boeing Delta IV Heavy
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The EELV program was designed to reduce the cost of government space launches through greater contractor competition, and modifiable rocket families whose system requirements emphasized simplicity, commonality, standardization, new applications of existing technology, streamlined manufacturing capabilities, and more efficient launch-site processing. Result: the Delta IV (Boeing) and Atlas V (Lockheed Martin) heavy rockets.

Paradoxically, that very program may have forced the October 2006 merger of Boeing & Lockheed Martin’s rocket divisions. Crosslink Magazine’s Winter 2004 article “EELV: The Next Stage of Space Launch” offers an excellent briefing that covers EELV’s program innovations and results, while a detailed National Taxpayer’s Union letter to Congress takes a much less positive view.

This DID Spotlight article looks at the Delta IV and Atlas V rockets, as well as the contracts that have been placed since the merger, which formed United Launch Alliance. The latest news is the successful launch of a Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellite by an Atlas V rocket…

• Delta IV
• Atlas V
• Military Satellite Payloads
• Contracts & Key Events
• Additional Readings
  
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Procurement Good News: DMSP, MaxPro MRAPs

19-Nov-2008 14:27 EST  |  Related Stories: Americas - USA, Lockheed Martin, Other Corporation, Project Successes, Satellites & Sensors, Trucks & Transport

DMSP: points of light
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The American military procurement system faces a number of challenges at the moment, and the news isn’t very good on many fronts. There are success stories in the field – some larger, some smaller. but every one the product of dedication and planning by the workers, firms, and government officials involved. This article highlights 2 recent “good news” items:

DMSP: Built Better. The DMSP constellation has been collecting weather data for U.S. military operations for almost 40 years, and 2 operational satellites are in a 101 minute, sun-synchronous near-polar orbit at all times. The primary weather sensor on DMSP is the Operational Linescan System, which provides continuous visual and infrared imagery of cloud cover over an area 1,600 nautical miles wide. Additional satellite sensors based on microwaves, infared, sounders, et. al. measure atmospheric vertical profiles of moisture and temperature, detect developing patterns of weather and track existing weather systems over remote areas – including severe thunderstorms, hurricanes, and typhoons. They also measure local charged particles and electromagnetic fields to assess the impact of the ionosphere on ballistic-missile early warning radar systems and long-range communications, monitor global auroral activity, and predict the effects of “space weather” on satellite operations.

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$48.7M to Re-Baseline DMSP Weather Satellite Program

24-Jan-2006 03:16 EST  |  Related Stories: Americas - USA, Contracts - Modifications, Environmental, Lockheed Martin, New Systems Tech, Project Methodologies, Satellites & Sensors

DMSP Satellite

Lockheed Martin Corp. in Sunnyvale, CA is being awarded a $48.7 million cost plus award fee contract modification. This will re-baseline the Spacecraft Integration and Test contract for Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellites F17, F18, F19, and F20. The launch dates were changed as a result of the Current Launch Schedule Review Board direction dated Dec. 8, 2005, per Special Contract Requirement SMC-H004. New launch dates as follows: F17 (July 8, 2006), F18 (March 28, 2008), F19 (March 28, 2010), and F20 (March 28, 2012). The Headquarters Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, CA issued the contract (FO4701-02-C-0003/P00057).

A previous DID article provides an explanation of the DMSP’s roles & improtance, as well as links to external resources.

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$21.5M to Extend Launch Schedules for Weather Satellites

15-Jul-2005 09:36 EDT  |  Related Stories: Americas - USA, Contracts - Modifications, Eng. Control Systems, Lockheed Martin, Satellites & Sensors

DMSP Satellite

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. in Sunnyvale, CA received a $21.5 million cost-plus award-fee contract modification. This procurement will incorporate new launch schedules for Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Satellites F-17 and F-19, and additional work for Satellite F-18.

The DMSP has been collecting weather data for U.S. military operations for almost 40 years, and 2 operational satellites are in a 101 minute, sun-synchronous near-polar orbit at all times. The primary weather sensor on DMSP is the Operational Linescan System, which provides continuous visual and infrared imagery of cloud cover over an area 1,600 nautical miles wide. Additional satellite sensors based on microwaves, infared, sounders, et. al. measure atmospheric vertical profiles of moisture and temperature, detect developing patterns of weather and track existing weather systems over remote areas (incl. severe thunderstorms, hurricanes, and typhoons), and measure local charged particles and electromagnetic fields to assess the impact of the ionosphere on ballistic-missile early warning radar systems and long-range communications. Additionally, these data are used to monitor global auroral activity and to predict the effects of the space environment on satellite operations.

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$20.1M to Cover New Launch Schedules for DMSP Satellite F-19

18-Apr-2005 01:57 EDT  |  Related Stories: Air Reconnaissance, Americas - USA, Contracts - Awards, Space

Lockheed Martin Corp. in Sunnyvale, CA received a $20.1 million cost-plus award-fee contract modification to incorporate new launch schedules for Defense Metrological Satellite Program (DMSP) Satellite F-19. The F-17 launch date will move from May 31, 2005 to December 5, 2005, and the F-19 launch date will move from May 31, 2009 to Oct. 31, 2009. Negotiations were completed April 2005, and work will be complete by December 2012. The Headquarters Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base, CA issued the contract (F04701-02-C-0003, P00045).

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