NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Demonstrations (COTS) phase one competitors, Rocketplane-Kistler (RpK) and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), could be facing competition from the Boeing, Lockheed Martin launch services joint venture United Launch Alliance (ULA).
On 7 August the US space agency published a request for information from industry on transport capabilities, current and planned, to inform its COTS phase two planning
COTS phase two will see the competitive procurement of International Space Station resupply services, but COTS phase one companies are not automatically selected, even if they demonstrate a delivery capability.
Phase one has involved RpK and SpaceX developing their own transport systems for cargo and possibly crew, with funded NASA Space Act agreements since 18 August last year. Both companies intend to respond to the phase two RFI.
NASA's RFI defines ISS cargo delivery and return, or disposal, missions as involving payloads of up to 3,000kg (6,600lb) of pressurised or unpressurised cargo, starting in the fourth quarter of 2010. The Space Shuttle fleet is to be retired by the end of 2010.
"While we fully expect to reply to the NASA RFI, it is too early to state how ULA will specifically respond. Our team will examine the requirements thoroughly, consider all company options and respond appropriately by the 7 September deadline," says ULA.
The RFI also says that NASA is interested in capabilities that do not match the described mission, and describes non-ISS future requirements to send 3,000kg payloads to 675km (420 miles) circular Sun-Synchronous Orbits (SSO). The ISS has a perigee of 336km and apogee of 347km and an orbital inclination of 51º. A typical SSO inclination is 98º. NASA was not available for comment on what these missions would be.
ULA's third and most recent launch was of NASA's Phoenix Mars lander mission on 4 August. The new joint venture completed its first mission with the launch of a US government satellite on 14 December last year, two weeks after its 1 December formation. And its second launch was for the Italian Space Agency's COSMO-SkyMed spacecraft on 7 June.
Source: Flight International
