Boeing has been awarded a contract to launch a U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) satellite aboard a Delta II rocket.
Under a contract signed with the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems
Center (SMC) on June 19, Boeing will launch an NRO satellite from Cape
Canaveral Air Station, Fla., in early 2001. It will be the first NRO
payload to be launched aboard a Delta rocket.
The satellite is the geosynchronous lightweight technology experiment
(GeoLITE), which is an advanced technology demonstration satellite with
a laser communications experiment and an operational UHF communications
mission.
"We appreciate both the SMC's and the NRO's confidence in selecting the
Delta II rocket to launch this prominent national security payload,"
said Jay Witzling, Boeing vice president, Delta II. "This is a great
opportunity to establish a strong working relationship with the NRO and
further develop our long-standing partnership with the Air Force."
The Air Force contracted the launch under a progressive procurement
process, which is laying the groundwork for a more commercialized
launch procurement system for the U.S. government.
The Delta II is a medium capacity expendable launch vehicle derived
from the Delta family of rockets built and launched since 1960. The
Delta II rocket is manufactured in Huntington Beach, Calif., with
final assembly in Pueblo, Colo., and is powered by the RS-27A engine
built by Boeing in Canoga Park, Calif.
Boeing unveils its newest, largest, and most powerful addition to the
Delta launch family — the Delta III — in August. Initial customers
include Hughes Space and Communications International, Inc., of Los
Angeles, and Space Systems/Loral of Palo Alto, Calif.
The company also continues development of the Delta IV/ Evolved
Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV), which aims to reduce space launch
costs from 25 to 50 percent.
