Evolved expendable launch vehicle program

Congress in renaming the program noted that this is a new era when both reusable and expendable launch vehicles should be considered in future solicitations. Congress also directs DoD to continue to work on a process to evaluate and certify launch vehicles using previously flown components or systems.

The EELV program is being relabeled just as the launch industry gears up for the next major competition for national security launches. This is a high-stakes competition in which only two companies will be selected to provide launch services over a five-year period. According to sources, the two winners would split up to 25 launches over the five years. For this competition ULA also will be introducing a new vehicle. The architecture called for the spacelifter to be based on standardized fairings, liquid core vehicles , upper stages, and solid rockets.

The Standard Payload Interface bus was also proposed as another way to save money and improve efficiency. Each of the bids had a variety of different concepts. Both companies built their designs around modularization, standardization and minimizing the amount of equipment and using proven, reliable and simplified systems.

Boeing was found to be in possession of proprietary documents from Lockheed Martin. In October two initial launch services contracts known as Buy 1 were awarded. The new era will begin in with initial launches to be performed in Following delays, the Air Force certified the Falcon 9 in May In a presentation to the Review of U. The summary asserts that even without a newly developed upper stage, it would be feasible for a human-rated Delta IV Heavy to launch a crewed Orion spacecraft to the International Space Station.

An EDS monitors critical launch vehicle and spacecraft systems and issues status, warning and abort commands to the crew during their mission to low Earth orbit. Space Shuttle. Explore Wikis Community Central. Report Dec. Recommendations: We recommend that the Director, EELV SPO, and the Director, DCMA, conduct a root cause analysis and implement corrective actions for the nonconformities identified during our evaluation and provide the DoD Office of Inspector General a copy of the root cause analysis and corrective action plan within 90 days of the issuance of this report.

This report is a result of Project No.