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Musk Co SpaceX wins injunction to stop USAF buying Russian rocket engines
A U.S. Court of Federal Claims judge issued an injunction late Wednesday prohibiting a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing from proceeding with plans to buy Russian-made rocket engines used to send U.S. Air Force satellites into space. (www.reuters.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
BUY AMERICAN !!!!!
you probably write this on a China-manufactured device ?!
The Air Force does not buy the engines. United Launch Alliance does. The fact is that America invested in computers in the 50s and 60s when Russia invested in metals. Hence we did not require huge engines because our avionics were lighter and our design computers could optimize structure better. When Lockheed Martin sought to find the best engine on the planet in the late 90s for its Atlas V, Glushko's Energomash had the best and cheapest - in both ways huge leaps over anything domestically available. The DoD approved the purchase and incorporation in the Atlas design - better to have the Russians working for our rockets than for the Iranians or the NorKs.
Here we are 15 years later, and there is a new player in the field. It has 11 consecutive successes, 4 with its current rocket. The incumbent has something like 116 consecutive successes, 45 with its current rocket. Those are the facts.
Are you ready to entrust a $1.5B satellite on a newer rocket at half the price? That is the question USAF and NASA decisionmakers struggle with every day. The answer could go either way.
Here we are 15 years later, and there is a new player in the field. It has 11 consecutive successes, 4 with its current rocket. The incumbent has something like 116 consecutive successes, 45 with its current rocket. Those are the facts.
Are you ready to entrust a $1.5B satellite on a newer rocket at half the price? That is the question USAF and NASA decisionmakers struggle with every day. The answer could go either way.
Matt, Thank you for explaining why we buy Russian engines. However, I must agree with Sen. John McCain, a member of the Armed Services Committee, who told a panal that U.S. dependence on Russian President Vladamir Putin for rocket motors was a reason "we should be looking desperately for competition" in space launches.
that is a good contribution: facts. But unfortunately, many disregard facts and go for the populism...
Good!, Boeing and Lockheed should be working with SpaceX.