Boeing and Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance (ULA) has awarded a contract to US-based Orbital ATK to support the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) evolved expendable launch vehicles (EELV) programme.
Under the terms of the contract, Orbital will supply 19m-long composite structures ranging from 4m to 5.5m in diameter for use on the Atlas V and Delta IV vehicles for the EELV programme.
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Orbital ATK Aerospace Structures Division vice-president and general manager Steve Earl: "Our long-standing involvement on both the Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles is a strong demonstration of our workforce’s engineering and manufacturing abilities.
"Our support of ULA EELV missions is a critical element of our aerospace structures business, and we are proud to provide support for these marquee launch vehicle programmes."
The EELV is the USAF space lift modernisation programme to increase the US space launch industry’s competitiveness and implement acquisition reform initiatives at reduced costs and deployment of commercial launch services.
Additionally, the contract will include fairings, payload adapters and diaphragms, interstages, nose cones and structures providing main engine thermal / aerodynamic protection.
Deliveries under the contract are expected to commence in 2016 and will run through into early 2019.
The contract will see hardware fabricated in Orbital Centre of Excellence (COE) in Iuka, Mississippi, US, support both Atlas V and Delta IV launches through approximately 2021.
