Author Topic: ATK/EADS: Liberty Launch Vehicle Update Thread  (Read 203773 times)

Offline Rik ISS-fan

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Re: ATK/EADS: Liberty Launch Vehicle Update Thread
« Reply #360 on: 07/07/2012 12:36 pm »
Sorry this post will be a little off topic, but it's to small for an separate thread. And this is the most appropriate place.

Airbus (sister company of Astrium, EADS is the parent company for both) posted the following press release on their website:
Airbus to establish assembly line in United States
http://www.airbus.com/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/airbus-to-establish-assembly-line-in-united-states/

I think the that Astrium's collaboration with ATK on Liberty was one of the driving factors towards this decision by Airbus. Astrium stated that when the demand for the Liberty upper stage would be high enough, they would start an production facility in the US.
I think that EADS pushed Airbus a little but toward an assembly line in the US to prove their wingless to do the same for Astrium.

I know this wasn't the only factor towards this step by Airbus. They needed a fourth assembly line for their A320s because of the high demand. And i think that a production facility in the US would most likely benefit the sales there. (And it is nice for bullying Boeing ;))       

Offline Prober

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Re: ATK/EADS: Liberty Launch Vehicle Update Thread
« Reply #361 on: 07/07/2012 01:32 pm »
Sorry this post will be a little off topic, but it's to small for an separate thread. And this is the most appropriate place.

Airbus (sister company of Astrium, EADS is the parent company for both) posted the following press release on their website:
Airbus to establish assembly line in United States
http://www.airbus.com/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/airbus-to-establish-assembly-line-in-united-states/

I think the that Astrium's collaboration with ATK on Liberty was one of the driving factors towards this decision by Airbus. Astrium stated that when the demand for the Liberty upper stage would be high enough, they would start an production facility in the US.
I think that EADS pushed Airbus a little but toward an assembly line in the US to prove their wingless to do the same for Astrium.

I know this wasn't the only factor towards this step by Airbus. They needed a fourth assembly line for their A320s because of the high demand. And i think that a production facility in the US would most likely benefit the sales there. (And it is nice for bullying Boeing ;))       

This was also a matter of costs.  Saw posted that US costs now are 30% cheaper and the Unions in France were worried.  (can look up if needed)
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Offline spacejulien

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Re: ATK/EADS: Liberty Launch Vehicle Update Thread
« Reply #362 on: 07/17/2012 03:25 pm »
And the location in the US also reduces Airbus' dependency on the € vs $ exchange rates.

From an Airbus perspective Astrium Space Transportation is almost peanuts and the Liberty-stuff really is completely below the radar detection level.

You shouldn't expect Airbus to base their business decision to invest 600 Million Dollar on potential gains on the Astrium side which are two orders of magnitude lower and not even secured.

Would you invest such amounts just based on the hope to appeal to NASA for a contract slice from CCiCap with maybe 100 M$ overall value for Astrium, so profit would be maybe ~8 M€ if they are lucky? And you could equally probably end up with no contract at all. Would you make such decisions?

So, don't expect the Liberty-venture to have played any even remote role in Airbus' decision.
« Last Edit: 07/17/2012 03:26 pm by spacejulien »
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Offline baldusi

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Re: ATK/EADS: Liberty Launch Vehicle Update Thread
« Reply #363 on: 07/17/2012 04:20 pm »
And the other way around? Once they decided to do the Airbus plant, may be they can leverage something (land, factory floor, tooling, management, I don't know) to lower the cost of actually producing the stage on the USA? Obviously, you just need to justify that 51% of the cost of the stage is made in the USA for DoD. May be even less if you take the whole vehicle.

Offline jacqmans

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Re: ATK/EADS: Liberty Launch Vehicle Update Thread
« Reply #364 on: 07/17/2012 04:36 pm »
News Release Issued: July 17, 2012 12:16 PM EDT

ATK Completes Final Milestone for Liberty under NASA's Commercial Crew Program
Liberty System Designed to Provide Safe, Reliable Crew Transportation to the ISS
ARLINGTON, Va., July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ATK (NYSE: ATK) successfully completed the last Liberty space transportation system milestone under the company's unfunded Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA for the Commercial Crew Development Program (CCDev-2).

The final milestone under the SAA was a Program Status Review (PSR) for the Liberty system. During the PSR, the Liberty team presented NASA with detailed progress of the program, including integrated master schedule, DAC cycle status, system requirements, software status, flight test plan, system safety review, ground processing certification plan and schedule for initial operation capability.

The CCDev-2 Liberty SAA enabled NASA and the Liberty team to share technical information related to the Liberty transportation system during the preliminary design review phase of the program. ATK completed five milestones and held three Technical Interchange Meetings, all on internal funding.

"It has been a privilege working with NASA to complete the SAA for the Commercial Crew program," said Kent Rominger, ATK vice president and program manager for Liberty. "The feedback we received from the NASA Liberty team has helped further the development of the entire system and we believe ensures the program is on target for Liberty to provide a capable and safe commercial transportation to the International Space Station (ISS) by mid-decade."

Currently, Liberty's schedule includes unmanned test flights in 2014 and 2015, followed by the first crewed flight in late 2015 with Liberty astronauts. Commercial operational flights to take NASA astronauts to the ISS would begin in 2016.

ATK also hosted a Liberty Supplier conference the day following the PSR. This meeting, held in Florida, brought together more than 20 of Liberty's major suppliers to support Liberty development activities.

"Our supply base is critical to Liberty's success as we move quickly through development of the entire system," said Rominger. "As a commercial program we need to ensure we are a strong team in order to provide the best service and grow a profitable business."

About Liberty
Liberty is a complete commercial crew space system that includes a composite spacecraft, abort system, launch vehicle and ground and mission operations, all of which were designed from inception to meet NASA's human-rating requirements. ATK is the prime contractor with Astrium and Lockheed Martin serving as major subcomponent providers. Additional subcontractors for Liberty include Safran/Snecma, Moog Inc., Honeywell, Astrotech Space Operations (ASTC), Aerojet, Reynolds, Smith and Hills, Teledyne Brown, Dynamic Concepts, Inc. and Hamilton Sundstrand.

The Liberty system team is located across 17 states including Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado,  Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and Washington. The commercial program will sustain thousands of jobs as well as bring approximately 600 new jobs across the country.

More information on the Liberty system can be found at www.libertyspace.us.

NASA CCP Media Contact: Candrea Thomas, 321-867-2468, [email protected]

Jacques :-)

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