Air Force Launch Services New Entrant Certification Guide
Abstract
This letter formally transmits the briefing slides we provided on February 1, 2013 in response to a House report accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Pub. L. No. 112-479 (2013)), which directed that we report to the congressional defense committees by February 1, 2013 with a review and analysis of the implementation of the Air Force Launch Services New Entrant Certification Guide (Guide). In 2011, the Air Force, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), implemented a coordinated strategy to certify new entrants to provide launch capability on Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV)-class launch vehicles. New entrants are launch companies that are working toward certifying their launch vehicle capabilities so that they may be allowed to compete with the current sole-source contractor for government launches. Launch vehicle certification is necessary to ensure that only proven, reliable launch vehicles will be used to launch government satellites. Currently only one provider is certified to provide EELV-class launch capability for government launches. To execute this strategy for national security space launches, the Air Force developed the Guide, which serves as a risk-based approach that the Air Force s Space and Missile Systems Center is using to certify the launch vehicle capabilities of potential new entrant launch providers. In response to the mandate, we addressed: (1) How the Air Force plans to implement its New Entrant Certification Guide, and (2) New entrant perspectives on becoming certified under the New Entrant Certification Guide.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 07, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA580766
Entities
People
- Brian Lepore
- Carrie Rogers
- Claire Buck
- Cristina Chaplain
- Desiree Cunningham
- Hai Tran
- John Krump
- Mike Shanahan
- Nabajyoti Barkakati
- Pete Gallegos Art
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office