House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Chairman Mac Thornberry’s (R-Texas) fiscal year 2017 mark restricts the definition of a rocket propulsion system (RPS) to a main booster, first-stage rocket engine or motor.
According to the bill text summary, the term rocket propulsion system does not include a launch vehicle, an upper stage, a strap-on motor or related infrastructure. The bill would require that the use of funds for the development of the RPS only be obligated or expended for the development of a RPS to replace non-allied space launch engines, like the Russian developed RD-180. Funds would also only be for the necessary interfaces, or integration of, the RPS with an existing or new launch vehicle. Funds would also not be authorized to be obligated or expended to develop or procure a launch vehicle, an upper stage, a strap-on motor, or related infrastructure.
The language can be construed as a win for Aerojet Rocketdyne [AJRD] and Dynetics in their quest to provide the Air Force with their AR1 engine and a loss for United Launch Alliance (ULA). ULA is developing an entire next-generation rocket called Vulcan and its vice chair, Boeing [BA] vice president Craig Cooning, wants government investment. ULA is a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin [LMT].
Aerojet Rocketdyne is offering AR1 as Vulcan’s first stage, but ULA has been publicly leaning toward using Blue Origin’s BE-4 engine. Aerojet Rocketdyne spokesman Glenn Mahone said Tuesday the AR1 would be ready for use by 2019.
All this focus on either a new rocket or a new engine stems from law requiring the Air Force to get off the RD-180 by FY ’19. HASC Strategic Forces Subcommittee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) has been adamant in his preferred solution for getting the Air Force off the RD-180 as quickly as possible: a new engine, not a new rocket, to replace the RD-180 on ULA’s Atlas V (Defense Daily, June 26). Aerojet Rocketdyne has a major presence in Alabama.
But Air Force leadership disagrees with Rogers’ approach, believing an entire rocket is necessary. The service has issued a number of other transaction agreement (OTA) contracts to Aerojet Rocketdyne, ULA, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) and Orbital ATK [OA] for shared public-private investments in RPS prototypes. The Air Force has awarded a portfolio of investments in industry’s RPS solutions, which vary depending on what industry proposed.
The solicitation allowed companies to submit proposals for the development of a RPS prototype, which ranged from full development of a new RPS, modifications to an existing RPS to meet NSS requirements, smaller projects to address high risk items for an RPS or subcomponents or activities required to test or qualify a new or existing RPS to meet national security launch requirements (Defense Daily, March 1).
Thornberry’s mark also directs the defense secretary to establish a pilot program to assess the viability of commercial weather data to support DoD requirements. The secretary would have one year and up to $3 million to carry out the pilot program by purchasing and evaluating commercial weather data that meets DoD standards and specifications.
The defense secretary would be required to provide interim and final briefings on the utility, cost and other considerations regarding the purchase of commercial satellite weather data to support DoD requirements.
The full HASC will mark up Thornberry’s mark and the subcommittee marks during a marathon session Wednesday.