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United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance, LLC (ULA) is an American launch service provider formed in December 2006 as a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. The company designs, assembles, sells and launches rockets. The company uses rocket engines, solid rocket boosters, and other components supplied by other companies.
When founded, the company inherited the Atlas V rocket from Lockheed Martin and the Delta rocket family from Boeing. As of 2024, the Delta family has been retired and the Atlas V is in the process of being retired. ULA began development of the Vulcan Centaur in 2014 as replacement for both the Atlas and Delta rocket families. The Vulcan Centaur completed its maiden flight in January 2024.
The primary customers of ULA are the Department of Defense (DoD) and NASA, but it also serves commercial clients.
Boeing and Lockheed Martin announced on May 2, 2005, that they would establish a 50/50 joint venture, United Launch Alliance (ULA), to consolidate their space launch operations.
The two companies had long competed for launch services contracts from the DoD, and their Atlas and Delta rockets were the two launch vehicles selected under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. The DoD had hoped the program would foster the creation of a strong, competitive commercial launch market. However, both companies said that this competition had made space launches unprofitable. Boeing's future in the program was also threatened in 2003 when it was found to be in possession of proprietary documents from Lockheed Martin. To end litigation and competition, both companies agreed to form the ULA joint venture. During the renewal of the EELV contract, the DoD said the merger would provide annual cost savings of $100–150 million.
SpaceX attempted to challenge the merger on anti-trust grounds, saying it would create a space launch monopoly. The Federal Trade Commission ultimately granted ULA anti-trust clearance, prioritizing national security access to space over potential competition concerns.
Michael Gass was announced as the first CEO of ULA and oversaw the merger of the two groups. Production was consolidated into one central plant in Decatur, Alabama while all engineering was moved into a facility in Littleton, Colorado. The parent companies retained responsibility for marketing and sales of the Delta and Atlas rockets.
Cost pressures led ULA to announce it would lay off 350 of its 4,200 workers in early 2009, and decommissioned two of its seven launch pads. ULA also joined and later left the Commercial Spaceflight Federation during this period.
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United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance, LLC (ULA) is an American launch service provider formed in December 2006 as a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. The company designs, assembles, sells and launches rockets. The company uses rocket engines, solid rocket boosters, and other components supplied by other companies.
When founded, the company inherited the Atlas V rocket from Lockheed Martin and the Delta rocket family from Boeing. As of 2024, the Delta family has been retired and the Atlas V is in the process of being retired. ULA began development of the Vulcan Centaur in 2014 as replacement for both the Atlas and Delta rocket families. The Vulcan Centaur completed its maiden flight in January 2024.
The primary customers of ULA are the Department of Defense (DoD) and NASA, but it also serves commercial clients.
Boeing and Lockheed Martin announced on May 2, 2005, that they would establish a 50/50 joint venture, United Launch Alliance (ULA), to consolidate their space launch operations.
The two companies had long competed for launch services contracts from the DoD, and their Atlas and Delta rockets were the two launch vehicles selected under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. The DoD had hoped the program would foster the creation of a strong, competitive commercial launch market. However, both companies said that this competition had made space launches unprofitable. Boeing's future in the program was also threatened in 2003 when it was found to be in possession of proprietary documents from Lockheed Martin. To end litigation and competition, both companies agreed to form the ULA joint venture. During the renewal of the EELV contract, the DoD said the merger would provide annual cost savings of $100–150 million.
SpaceX attempted to challenge the merger on anti-trust grounds, saying it would create a space launch monopoly. The Federal Trade Commission ultimately granted ULA anti-trust clearance, prioritizing national security access to space over potential competition concerns.
Michael Gass was announced as the first CEO of ULA and oversaw the merger of the two groups. Production was consolidated into one central plant in Decatur, Alabama while all engineering was moved into a facility in Littleton, Colorado. The parent companies retained responsibility for marketing and sales of the Delta and Atlas rockets.
Cost pressures led ULA to announce it would lay off 350 of its 4,200 workers in early 2009, and decommissioned two of its seven launch pads. ULA also joined and later left the Commercial Spaceflight Federation during this period.
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