United Launch Alliance (ULA) says it’s signed commercial contracts with multiple United States-based companies to investigate next-generation liquid oxygen (LOX)/hydrocarbon first stage propulsion concepts.
In collaboration with ULA, each company will conduct technical feasibility analysis, develop high fidelity plans, identify schedule, cost and technical risks as well as cost estimates to meet aggressive recurring cost targets. All concepts will support a first launch by 2019, the joint venture said late Monday.
ULA will continue to work with U.S.-based RD AMROSS, a joint venture of
United Technologies Corp.’s [UTX] Pratt & Whitney and NPO Energomash of Russia, to evaluate the long-term feasibility of the RD-180 rocket engine in competition with the anticipated new engine. ULA and RD AMROSS are in continued discussions evaluating product improvements, U.S. production and other enhancements to enable its further viability.
ULA uses the RD-180 in a majority of its national security launches as part of the Atlas V launch vehicle. The Air Force, which contracts with ULA for national security space launches, is evaluating a future without the RD-180 after Russian invaded Crimea and a key Russian official threatened to bar use of the engine in U.S. military launches. Outgoing Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) chief Gen. William Shelton recently endorsed a lox/hydrocarbon engine if the Air Force were to pursue a next-gen engine (Defense Daily, May 20).
ULA expects to select its future concept and engine supplier by the fourth quarter of this year to enable initial launch capability by 2019. The company is evaluating the technical feasibility of these new engine concepts for both private investment and the potential for public-private partnership. ULA spokeswoman Jessica Rye Tuesday declined to say which companies received contracts from ULA, citing non-disclosure agreements. Rye added a lox-hydrocarbon designation allows for either lox-methane or lox-RP-1, which is used by the RD-180.
ULA is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Boeing [BA].