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36 articles
Blue Origin encounters setback in BE-4 engine testing
Blue Origin said Sunday that it lost a set of powerpack hardware for its BE-4 engine during a ground test mishap, dealing at least a minor setback to the development of a powerful U.S.-made propulsion system that United Launch Alliance says is the leading candidate to power the first stage of its next-generation Vulcan rocket.
ULA chief says Blue Origin in driver’s seat for Vulcan engine deal
A full-scale BE-4 engine developed by Blue Origin, the space company founded by Amazon.com's Jeff Bezos, is installed on a test stand in West Texas for a series of hotfire tests that United Launch Alliance will closely examine before settling on the reusable methane-fueled engine for its new-generation Vulcan rocket.
ULA’s candidates to replace RD-180 engine win Air Force funding
The Pentagon has awarded at least $162 million in contracts to Aerojet Rocketdyne and United Launch Alliance for development of the AR1 and BE-4 rocket engines, candidates to power the first stage of a next-generation rocket and replace the Russian-made engine currently flying on the Atlas 5 launcher.
Orbital ATK, SpaceX nab U.S. Air Force propulsion contracts
Orbital ATK and SpaceX won Pentagon contracts worth a combined value of up to $241 million Wednesday in public-private partnerships crafted to hasten the U.S. military's move away from Russian-supplied propulsion to deliver national security satellites to orbit.
ULA selects launch pads for new Vulcan rocket
United Launch Alliance's next-generation Vulcan rocket will lift off from the company's existing Atlas 5 launch facilities in Florida and California, according to the company's Vulcan program manager.
Boeing rejects bid to buy ULA as engine race heats up
Boeing said Wednesday it has turned down an offer from Aerojet Rocketdyne to buy United Launch Alliance, a Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture that operates the Atlas and Delta rocket fleets.