United Launch Alliance (ULA) is an American launch service provider, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. As a launch provider, ULA designs, assembles, sells, and launches rockets like the Atlas V and Vulcan Centaur, providing access to space for national security payloads, commercial satellites, and deep-space exploration missions. Its primary customers include the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, and commercial entities. Key activities involve launch services, rocket development, and partnerships with organizations like NASA and ESA for various space missions.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
Boeing and Lockheed Martin announced plans to form United Launch Alliance in 2005 and ULA began operations in December 2006.
SpaceX sued the Air Force in 2013 over the Air Force’s decision to award United Launch Alliance a bulk purchase of launches instead of allowing competitive bids.
The Air Force awarded LSA cost-sharing contracts of $500,000,000 to Blue Origin, $967,000,000 to United Launch Alliance, and $762,000,000 to Northrop Grumman.
The United Launch Alliance contract for the Lucy mission had a value of $148,300,000.
United Launch Alliance received a U.S. Air Force contract modification on 2019-05-09 for a Delta IV Heavy launch of the NROL-68 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office.
The reprogramming included $44,900,000 taken from EELV Launch Capability accounts that fund payments directly to United Launch Alliance to support Air Force requirements.
The three Delta 4 Heavy missions covered by the negotiated agreement are expected to be the final three Delta 4 Heavy launch vehicles that ULA produces.
Funds for the Delta 4 launches were previously committed to ULA under an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Phase 1 block buy negotiated in 2013 for 36 cores.
The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center awarded United Launch Alliance a $149,000,000 contract modification on 2019-05-09 for a Delta 4 Heavy launch of the National Reconnaissance Office mission NROL-68.
United Launch Alliance reduced costs for the NRO bulk purchase of three launches by negotiating better rates with suppliers, including a record-low price for Aerojet Rocketdyne’s RL-10 upper stage engines.
The $467,500,000 contract value for three Delta 4 Heavy launches covers production of three launch vehicles and is limited to hardware and labor costs paid in advance to ULA.
Under the Launch Vehicle Production Services contract, United Launch Alliance was awarded three NRO missions in October 2018: NROL-91, NROL-68, and NROL-70.
The contract modification for NROL-68 is the second of three missions awarded to United Launch Alliance under the Launch Vehicle Production Services contract in October 2018.
United Launch Alliance is retiring the Delta 4 Medium in 2020.
The Air Force determined United Launch Alliance was the only certified launch service provider capable of providing launch services for NROL-68, NROL-70, and NROL-91.
United Launch Alliance was awarded three NRO missions—NROL-91, NROL-68, and NROL-70—under the LVPS contract in October 2018.
The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center awarded United Launch Alliance a $149,000,000 contract modification for a Delta 4 Heavy launch of the National Reconnaissance Office mission NROL-68.
Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance, and Northrop Grumman were collectively awarded Launch Service Agreement contracts in October worth $2,300,000,000 to help partially fund vehicle development and build infrastructure for national security payload launches.
Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance, and Northrop Grumman were collectively awarded Launch Service Agreement contracts worth $2,300,000,000 in October to help partially fund vehicle development and build launch infrastructure for Phase 2.
Phase 2 plans call for selecting two vendors from a field that would include United Launch Alliance, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Northrop Grumman.