TIM FURNISS / LONDON
Slump in commercial market could mean Boeing and Lockheed Martin having to seek government assurances
The US Air Force may have to subsidise Boeing and Lockheed Martin to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure the new Delta IV and Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles (EELVs) will be available for government missions. The funding could be necessary due to the reduction in the commercial satellite launch market.
The Delta IV and Atlas V have fewer than 12 civil commercial satellite launches booked between them. Industry sources suggest that the current dearth in orders may result in Boeing and Lockheed Martin reducing their respective $1.5 million and $750 million investment in the programmes.
The USAF awarded both the companies EELV contracts in 1998, with Boeing netting $1.3 billion of launch business and Lockheed Martin $650 million.
Boeing was awarded 19 USAF launches, which was increased to 21 in 2000 by two launches that were originally part of Lockheed Martin's nine.
Some early USAF launch contracts for the Delta IV could be transferred to the Atlas V to compensate for the imbalance, with further procurements to be made on a more even bias.
The maiden flights of both vehicles are set for this year, but it will take several missions before the boosters are fully operational. The manufacturers do not expect the programmes to be profitable until 2010.
The two stages of the first Boeing Delta IV booster have been mated in the launcher-processing building at Cape Canaveral's refurbished Launch Complex 37. Two solid rocket motors will be added to the Delta IV Medium booster on the pad in preparation for a mid-July launch - a delay from the target date of May.Source: Flight International