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Laurel Kornfeld
October 14, 2018
Artistic representation of Blue Origin's new Blue Origin rocket as it ascends into orbit. Image credit: Blue Origin
The US Air Force has contracted Blue Origin commercial flight company to use its New Glenn reusable rocket to launch its National Security Space (NSS) missions.
Known as the Launch Services Agreement (LSA), the contract is expected to facilitate the development of a single New Glenn vehicle that will meet the needs of the NSS program. These include a vertical payload integration capability, a fully reusable first stage, a unique configuration for all missions, a transport capacity twice the payload of any current launcher, all-liquid propulsion reliable and 95% weather availability.
In addition, it is hoped that the contract will leverage private investment in the development and commercial competitiveness of the New Glenn rocket.
NSS missions using New Glenn should be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Federal law requires the United States to maintain a minimum of two national launch service providers through public-private partnerships, an objective that this contract must achieve.
"Our launch program is an excellent example of how we are deploying the future air force faster and smarter. We are taking full advantage of the authorities that Congress has given us and we will no longer be relying on the Russian-made RD-180 rocket engine, "said Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson. "Leveraging domestic commercial space launch systems is good for the Air Force and a revitalized commercial launch industry is good for the taxpayer."
Congress calls for no longer relying on foreign rocket propulsion systems and accelerating NSS programs. Since 2003, the Air Force has launched 72 EELV launch vehicle launch service contracts using the Atlas V and Delta IV rockets.
"Since the beginning of the space program, the Air Force has been a world leader in space launching," said Gen. David L. Goldfein, Chief of the Air Staff, in a news release. press. "As space becomes increasingly contentious and our adversaries develop new capabilities to counteract our advantage, we are deploying our space capabilities to ensure we remain the best in our industry."
Contracts for EELV mission launch systems have also been awarded to Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems and United Launch Alliance. The NSS was created to transport national security satellites into Earth orbit.
Tagged: The lead stories of the Air Force's origin in national space security New Glenn
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Laurel Kornfeld
Laurel Kornfeld is an amateur astronomer and freelance writer from Highland Park, New Jersey, who loves writing about astronomy and planetary science. She studied journalism at Douglass College, Rutgers University, and earned a Graduate Certificate in Science from the Astronomy Online program at the University of Swinburne. His writings have been published online in The Atlantic, the Astronomy magazine's blog section, the British Space Conference, the 2009 IAU General Assembly Journal, The Space Reporter, and in the bulletins of various astronomy clubs. . She is a member of Amateur Astronomers, Inc., based in Cranford, New Jersey. Specially interested in the external solar system, Laurel made a short presentation at the Great World Debate 2008 held at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, MD.
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