Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle: DOD Is Addressing Knowledge Gaps in Its New Acquisition Strategy
Abstract
DOD began the EELV program in 1995 to provide a new generation of launch vehicles to ensure affordable access to space for government satellites. It resulted in two families of commercially owned and operated launch vehicles Boeing s Delta IV and Lockheed Martin s Atlas V. It also includes manufacturing and launch site facilities and ground support systems. Each family of launch vehicles consists of medium-, intermediate-, and heavy-lift vehicles. In 1995, DOD awarded contracts to four companies to define EELV system concepts and complete preliminary system designs. At the end of their contracts, DOD planned to choose one contractor with the most reliable and cost-effective design. However, in November 1997, the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) approved maintaining two contractors, based on forecasts that growth in the commercial space launch market would support more than one launch provider and the resulting competition would translate into lower costs for the government. In 1998, DOD competitively awarded Boeing and Lockheed Martin two firm-fixed price contracts for Delta IV and Atlas V launch services, respectively, under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provisions governing commercial items. Under these contracts, DOD had limited insight into contractor costs because certified cost or pricing data is not required in the acquisition of commercial items. In 2000, new market forecasts showed a dramatic reduction in the expected demand for commercial launch services and the robust launch market upon which the DOD based the EELV acquisition strategy did not materialize. As a consequence, estimated prices for future contracts for launch services increased, along with the total cost of the program.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA562441
Entities
People
- Art Gallegos
- Bob Swierczek
- Claire Buck
- Cristina T. Chaplain
- Desiree Cunningham
- John Krump
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office