Alliant says can replace Russian launch engine for U.S. satellitesReuters
3 hours ago
WASHINGTON, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Alliant Techsystems Inc (ATK) said on Tuesday it has submitted a proposal to build a commercial solid-fuel rocket motor to replace the RD-180 Russian-made engine now used to launch key U.S. military and spy satellites.
The U.S. Air Force this summer asked weapons makers to submit ideas on ways to end U.S. reliance on the Russian-built engines amid growing U.S.-Russian tensions and concerns that Moscow could halt engine shipments. Responses were due Friday, and Air Force officials will meet with companies on Wednesday.
Top Pentagon and Air Force officials have said they expect to request initial funding for a successor to the RD-180 in their fiscal 2016 budget request, kicking off a program that could generate billions of dollars in orders for the winning bidder.
The Russian engine is used by a joint venture, the United Launch Alliance (ULA), of Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp on its Atlas 5 rocket, which launches key military and spy satellites.
ULA said last week it would invest in a new rocket engine being developed by technology entrepreneur Jeff Bezos as a successor to the RD-180. It said the new engine should cost less $1 billion to develop and be ready for use in four years.
On Tuesday, ATK said it could develop, test and produce a solid rocket booster to replace the RD-180, which uses a liquid propellant, within three years, and at a lower cost than other options being considered by the Air Force.
ATK said it had developed six new motors in the last seven years, with new technologies increasing performance and reliability, while driving down the cost.
Kent Rominger, a former five-time NASA shuttle astronaut and vice president of business development for ATK's space launch division, said he expected the Air Force to follow a "fairly aggressive timeline" in kicking off a formal competition.
"I think Congress would like to have a domestic source of engines sooner rather than later," Rominger said.
Rominger said ATK's proposal would replace the RD-180 engine and surrounding rocket stage without altering the rest of the Atlas 5 system. He said the proposal would require construction of a new mobile launch platform at a cost of several hundred million dollars to avoid disrupting scheduled Atlas 5 launches.
He declined to give any specific cost data on the proposed new solid rocket motor, but said it would likely cost less than other proposals already unveiled, including the ULA bid.
Rominger said U.S. companies were watching the proposal carefully, given the dearth of new programs in recent years.
"This could be significant," he said. "We haven't seen a new launch system being developed by the U.S. government or the government in a long time. It's a significant amount of business." (Editing by Peter Galloway)
http://news.yahoo.com/alliant-says-replace-russian-launch-163824641.html
