Latest News

Industry Invited To Briefing On United Launch Alliance Pact

By Staff Writer | March 12, 2007

      Launch users such as satellite industry participants are invited to a Department of Defense (DOD) industry day for a briefing April 5 in California on the United Launch Alliance (ULA) pact.

      ULA is a joint consortium of The Boeing Co. [BA] and Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT] to provide launch services.

      Concerns have been raised that the alliance could dominate launch pricing.

      The DOD National Security Space Office will host the event to inform industry of the Federal Trade Commission consent order regarding ULA and the role of a compliance officer to oversee compliance with the Consent Order.

      That order aims to ensure that ULA affords all satellite manufacturers non-discriminatory treatment for launch services and that Lockheed and Boeing, as satellite manufacturers, consider all qualified launch vehicle providers on a non-discriminatory basis.

      The order also requires firewalls to prevent information from a satellite or other launch vehicle provider from being shared by ULA with its Boeing or Lockheed Martin parent.

      In this agreement, the role of the compliance officer is to oversee compliance with the consent order by all three respondents and to investigate any complaint or representation arising in relation to or connected with compliance of this order.

      Northrop Grumman Corp. [NOC], which also makes satellites, was concerned that it should receive the same pricing for launches from ULA as Boeing and Lockheed would get for launching the satellites they make.

      The industry day will be held April 5 at The Aerospace Corporation located at 2350 East El Segundo Boulevard, Building A8 Conference Room, El Segundo, Calif.

      Attendance is limited to two representatives per organization.

      All attendees must register online at http://www.aero.org/conferences/ula.

      NSSO welcomes the attendance from members of the general public, but for security reasons all attendees must be United States citizens with a valid photo identification for admission.

      Contacts are Alan L. Adams at 310-336-7476, DeeDee Madrid at 310-336-7256 or Douglas Brown at 310-416-7704.