I wish ULA was better than this.
If this succeeds, I think the best outcome would be for Rocket Lab and Relativity to split the rest.
Seems like this might not happen at all, according to Eric Berger: https://x.com/SciGuySpace/status/2029254167471006033
The proposed language to cap NASA’s launch procurement at 50 percent from any one company has been dropped from the final NASA reauthorization bill.
Nice, I think that’s for the best.
Switching to NSSL style procurement or big picture quotas doesn’t seem like it makes sense for NASA. Planetary science doesn’t exactly use “reference orbits” like the defense missions, and NASA already diversifies their launchers on ISS crew and cargo. If anything, letting lunar landers and smallsats figure out their own rides and rideshares is more in line with a commercial market solution than what Bridenstine was paid to support.
Lobbyist promoting competition…must be time to watch the greedy eating each other…we wish.
I liked the old Jim Bridenstine better :(
Time to start spreading the rumour that he was raised by wolves who named him after the director of this film and a portmanteau of the film’s title :)
I mean, there’s not exactly zero resemblance between him and the bridegroom.
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