EADS Space Transportation’s role in the Lockheed Martin consortium bidding to develop NASA’s Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) is in doubt, the European manufacturer reveals.
Lockheed CEV programme manager Cleon Lacefield confirms EADS will not be involved in Phase 1 of the CEV’s programme, which is for orbital access.
The European company, manufacturer of the Ariane 5 launch vehicle, was originally to provide expertise for the mission module, a life-support system and storage area attached to the CEV in an earlier Lockheed design.
But NASA’s Apollo-like exploration architecture and specific spacecraft designs have limited EADS’s involvement.
“Lockheed Martin is in the process of reconsidering our possible participation. We would need to know in the next few months,” says EADS Space Transportation. “It depends on whether NASA says it’s a US-only CEV. We have not been told that yet.”
The European company’s involvement in the Lockheed team competing for the CEV contract against a Northrop Grumman/Boeing team was announced in January.
ROB COPPINGER/LONDON
Source: Flight International
