Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC
NASA and Lockheed Martin are renegotiating their co-operative agreement on the X-33 technology demonstrator and follow-on VentureStar reusable launch vehicle (RLV).
The talks are a result of technical problems with the X-33 and the decision by NASA both to delay and open to competition its selection of a second-generation RLV. Negotiations are paced by the investigation into the November failure of the X-33's composite liquid hydrogen tank during ground testing. This could delay flight testing of the technology demonstrator to 2002.
The agreement is based on co-operative development of technologies for the single-stage-to- orbit VentureStar, which would be developed commercially by Lockheed Martin, with NASA as a customer. The original plan called for the subscale, suborbital X-33 to fly last year, and the VentureStar to enter service in 2005.
Investigation of the fuel tank failure is expected to be completed this month. Lockheed Martin hopes it will be possible to repair the composite tank, as development of a replacement aluminium unit could delay the X-33's first flight by 17 months. This could endanger continued cost sharing.
NASA has capped its X-33 spending at $942 million, about $115 million of which remains to be spent. But release of this money is tied to specific milestones, such as flight tests. Spending by Lockheed Martin and its subcontractors has risen to $356 million, from the original $212 million, and the company wants NASA to advance some of the remaining funds to get the X-33 flying.
Negotiations are also linked to NASA's plan to initiate commercial development of a second-generation RLV in 2005. The space agency plans to spend $4.5 billion over the next five years, funding competing technology demonstrators. The VentureStar is expected to be a contender.
Source: Flight International
