SpaceX Dragon capsule (Ron Lin / SpaceX)
Via the LA Times story, Musk is apparently focused on breaking the monopoly the Air Force, Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. has on launching satellites:
“Musk has said his company can perform a satellite launch for less than $100 million — a fraction of the price charged by the Boeing-Lockheed joint venture. The average cost for each launch using rockets from Boeing and Lockheed has soared to $420 million, according to a recent analysis by the Government Accountability Office.”
Musk has been an outspoken critic of the past contracts:
“Over the last two years, Musk has repeatedly slammed the government’s deal with the Boeing-Lockheed venture. He filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims this year, claiming that the Air Force’s block purchase of 36 launches from the joint venture last December was illegal. The case is still pending.
…But in court, Musk’s lawyers called the contract “dangerous, fiscally irresponsible, and offensive to American values of open competition and fairness.”
…and an interesting development, “The threat of competition from SpaceX already has spurred executives at United Launch Alliance’s Denver headquarters to take action.”
Be sure to read all the details, and more, from the source, here: SpaceX may upset firm’s monopoly in launching Air Force satellites …on the LA Times.
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