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ULA and USAF sign block buy over 36 Atlas and Delta cores
by
Skyrocket
on 28 Jan, 2014 06:24
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ULA and USAF have signed a contract over a block buy of 36 Atlas-V and Delta-IV cores. (
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1401/27blockbuy )
The first 5 vehicles (7 cores) are:
for USAF-missions:
a Atlas-V(501)
a Atlas-V(511)
a Delta-IVM+(4,2)
a Delta-IVM+(5,4)
for NRO missions:
a Delta-4H
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#1
by
Star One
on 28 Jan, 2014 06:29
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Another DIVH can't think of many payloads that would need that kind of lift.
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#2
by
Comga
on 28 Jan, 2014 06:32
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There is a silly spelling error in the thread title.
They didn't put their signatures on a cinder block while sitting in the midst of more than three dozen rocket stages.
edit: my silly spelling error!
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#3
by
Skyrocket
on 28 Jan, 2014 06:37
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Silly typo in title corrected ;-)
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#4
by
Lars_J
on 28 Jan, 2014 06:53
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Is this a different block buy than the recent one?
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#5
by
Star One
on 28 Jan, 2014 08:52
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Is this a different block buy than the recent one?
No the same one.
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#6
by
newpylong
on 29 Jan, 2014 20:25
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This is the finalization of the one set in motion in late 2012.
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#7
by
newpylong
on 29 Jan, 2014 20:25
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Another DIVH can't think of many payloads that would need that kind of lift.
Except the one listed under it that has always used the D-IVH or Titan IV?
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#8
by
darkbluenine
on 30 Jan, 2014 14:41
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Has anyone seen (or does anyone know) the value of this contract?
Thanks in advance.
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#9
by
kevin-rf
on 30 Jan, 2014 19:42
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One of the other sites just listed 4 Delta Heavies? That's one Heavy a Year.
That a large number of very expensive payloads.
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#10
by
Zed_Noir
on 30 Jan, 2014 21:27
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One of the other sites just listed 4 Delta Heavies? That's one Heavy a Year.
That a large number of very expensive payloads.
IIRC from the other threads. A lot of the NRO birds are near the end of their lifespan. Ideally you don't want to replace them after they become non-operational.
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#11
by
baldusi
on 31 Jan, 2014 01:03
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One of the other sites just listed 4 Delta Heavies?
It is SpaceflightNow's story, which is a followup to the one this topic was started for:
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1401/30blockbuy/
According to the article, the current contract value is 2.6B, or 72M per core.
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#12
by
darkbluenine
on 31 Jan, 2014 02:46
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According to the article, the current contract value is 2.6B, or 72M per core.
Thanks much.
That $2.6B appears to be for production of those 36 cores.
To approximate the full cost of a single-core launch, I assume we'd have to spread ULA's $1B/yr. launch capability contract over these 36 launches and add that figure to the $72M for producing each core.
Since these 36 cores cover five years (FY13-17), that's an additional $5B or $138M per core. Added to the $72M, that gives me a full cost of $210 for a single-core launch.
Sound logic? In the ballpark? Criticism/critique? Better numbers?
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#13
by
input~2
on 31 Jan, 2014 20:27
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(source: DoD)
December 16, 2013
CONTRACTS AIR FORCE United Launch Services LLC, Littleton, Colo., has been awarded a $530,794,720 firm-fixed-price modification (PZ0001) on an existing contract (FA8811-13-C-0003) for fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2017 launch vehicle production services and options for that associated launch capability for fiscal 2015 through fiscal 2019 are available and may be exercised at a later date. This executes the requirements for fiscal 2014 launch vehicle production services in support of the following Air Force and National Reconnaissance Organization launch vehicle configurations: Air Force Atlas V 501, Air Force Atlas V 511, Air Force Delta IV 4,2, Air Force Delta IV 5,4, and a National Reconnaissance Organization Delta IV Heavy. Work will be performed at Centennial, Colo., Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla., and is expected to be completed by second quarter 2018. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2014 missile procurement funds in the amount of $679,434,676 are being obligated at time of award. Launch Systems Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center is the contracting activity, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity.
October 18, 2013
CONTRACTS AIR FORCE United Launch Services LLC, Littleton, Colo., was awarded a $939,085,130 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification (P00002) with cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price contract line item numbers under a previously existing contract (FA8811-13-C-0003) for Fiscal 2014 EELV Launch Capability for the Delta IV and Atlas V families of launch vehicles. The contract modification is for all launch capability effort to include mission assurance, program management, systems engineering, integration of the space vehicle with the launch vehicle, launch site and range operations, and launch infrastructure maintenance and sustainment. Work will be performed at Littleton, Colo., Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla., and will be completed Sept. 30, 2014. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition with only one offer solicited and received. Fiscal 2013 in the amount of $294,314,145 was obligated at time of award. Launch Systems Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif., is the contracting activity. (Awarded Oct. 1, 2013)
June 26, 2013
CONTRACTS AIR FORCE United Launch Services LLC, Littleton, Colo., has been awarded a $1,088,000,000 not-to-exceed letter contract for Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) production services in support of the following Air Force and National Reconnaissance Organization (NRO) launch vehicle configurations: AF Atlas V 401, AF Atlas V 501, AF Delta IV 4,2, AF Delta IV 5,4 NRO Atlas 401, NRO Atlas 541, and a NRO Delta IV 5,2. Work will be performed at Centennial, Colo., and is expected to be complete by 2015. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2013 Missile Procurement funds in the amount of $525,000,000 will be obligated on this award. Launch Systems Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8811-13-C-0003).
Trying to decode the above:
For FY14:
LVPS (launch vehicle production service): M531$
Annual Launch Capability: M939$
Total: M1,470$
corresponding to 5 launchers: Atlas V-501, Atlas V-511, Delta IV M+4,2, Delta IV M+5,4, Delta IV Heavy
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#14
by
input~2
on 31 Jan, 2014 22:04
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DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE XXX AFB LETTER CONTRACT BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE AND _________________________________________________________________ CONTRACT NUMBER F1XXXX- ___- ____________
CONTRACT FOR: ____________________________________________________________ (BRIEF DESCRIPTION) DEFINITION: A letter contract is a written preliminary contractual document that authorizes the contractor to begin immediately manufacturing supplies or performing services.
I. FAR 52.216-24 LIMITATION OF GOVERNMENT LIABILITY
(a) In performing this contract, the Contractor is not authorized to make expenditures or incur obligations exceeding*_______________________________dollars.
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#15
by
joek
on 31 Jan, 2014 22:11
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Easier to look at the budget request when trying to estimate these numbers:
Air Force Missile Procurement, FY14.* Snapshot attached as an example of what you'll find. Beware the number for FY2014 in this document. The later omnibus bill actual for FY2014 is $1487M for procurement = $809M for launch services (5 launches) + $679M for ELC (excludes $28M RDT&E).
Hope that helps.
* Other interesting stuff on the current year budget page:
Fiscal Year 2014 Air Force Budget Materials.
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#16
by
input~2
on 31 Jan, 2014 22:15
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Refering to Space News article
U.S. Air Force Claims Big Savings on EELV Block BuyAFAIU the amount of the letter contract of June 2013 should not be added to the firm-fixed-price contracts of October and December 2013.
So the total combined value is not "just under $2.6 billion" but $ 1,470 million
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#17
by
joek
on 01 Feb, 2014 22:31
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To approximate the full cost of a single-core launch, I assume we'd have to spread ULA's $1B/yr. launch capability contract over these 36 launches and add that figure to the $72M for producing each core.
Since these 36 cores cover five years (FY13-17), that's an additional $5B or $138M per core. Added to the $72M, that gives me a full cost of $210 for a single-core launch.
Sound logic? In the ballpark? Criticism/critique? Better numbers?
Depends on what you consider as "full cost". The attached chart shows the annual cost breakdown for USAF launches (per-launch, not per-core) FY2013-2017. Quantity is 5 launches/year for all years except 2013, which is 4, for a total of 24 launches.
All-up, it averages ~$372M per launch FY2013-2017. If you exclude FY2013, which included two acquisitions under the block buy, average is ~$363M FY2014-2015. If you exclude FY2014, which has been subject to some fiddling, averages is ~$375M FY2015-2017.
Someone with more insight into the USAF launch schedule would need to confirm whether these are all single-core, but the numbers suggest they are. Based on the SpaceNews article, 4 launches are Delta IV Heavy (NRO?), which would account for 12 cores. That leaves 24 single-core launches, which is what the USAF budget numbers show.
Of note, these numbers do not include budget for acquisition or fixed-cost contributions from other agencies. For example, the USAF and NRO split the cost for launch capability 75/25% and mission assurance 60/40%; the numbers shown are only for the USAF (with NRO contribution add ~$175M/yr).
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#18
by
Oli
on 02 Feb, 2014 07:06
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Of note, these numbers do not include budget for acquisition or fixed-cost contributions from other agencies. For example, the USAF and NRO split the cost for launch capability 75/25% and mission assurance 60/40%; the numbers shown are only for the USAF (with NRO contribution add ~$175M/yr).
All right but Atlas/Delta launched 11 times in 2013, for example. So per launch the cost would be lower.
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#19
by
Hauerg
on 02 Feb, 2014 07:55
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11 AIR FORCE Launches ??
