Latest Breaking News

bananas

(27,509 posts) Thu Apr 28, 2016, 12:33 AM Apr 2016

SpaceX breaks Boeing-Lockheed monopoly on military space launches

Source: Reuters

The U.S. Air Force on Wednesday awarded billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX an $83 million contract to launch a GPS satellite, breaking the monopoly that Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) and Boeing Co (BA.N) have held on military space launches for more than a decade.

The Global Positioning System satellite will be launched in May 2018 from Florida, Air Force officials said.

The fixed-price award is the military's first competitively sourced launch service contract in more than a decade. It ends the exclusive relationship between the military and United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

<snip>

SpaceX declined to comment about its first military launch contract until after an Air Force conference call with reporters on Thursday.

Read more: http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0XO2TC

4 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

SpaceX breaks Boeing-Lockheed monopoly on military space launches (Original Post) bananas Apr 2016 OP

Two companies = duopoly, NOT monopoly. All the same: kudos to SpaceX Bernardo de La Paz Apr 2016 #1

I was going to say, Boeing would certainly protest against being considered the same company as Coventina Apr 2016 #2

But they have an alliance! Elmer S. E. Dump Apr 2016 #4

ULA is its own company... joshcryer Apr 2016 #3

Bernardo de La Paz

(49,001 posts)

1. Two companies = duopoly, NOT monopoly. All the same: kudos to SpaceX

Reply to bananas (Original post)

Thu Apr 28, 2016, 10:29 AM

Apr 2016

Critical thinking is not taught in schools, even though it is testable.

Kudos to SpaceX.

SpaceX also has announced plans to develop heavy lift systems to land payloads on Mars by 2018.

Coventina

(27,120 posts)

2. I was going to say, Boeing would certainly protest against being considered the same company as

Reply to Bernardo de La Paz (Reply #1)

Thu Apr 28, 2016, 10:33 AM

Apr 2016

Lockheed.

Lockheed is one of their biggest rivals!!

What an incredibly sloppy headline!

Elmer S. E. Dump

(5,751 posts)

4. But they have an alliance!

Reply to Coventina (Reply #2)

Thu Apr 28, 2016, 04:20 PM

Apr 2016

"United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. " They're even freeking partners! They may even have sex!!

The HORROR!!!

joshcryer

(62,270 posts)

3. ULA is its own company...

Reply to Bernardo de La Paz (Reply #1)

Thu Apr 28, 2016, 11:15 AM

Apr 2016

Brett Tobey had to resign for basically admitting they didn't want to compete with SpaceX. I'm sure that's what helped prompt the Pentagon's change of tune.

Reply to this discussion