https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/ula-gets-three-launch-contracts/ Fri, 07 Apr 2017 07:10:39 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/ula-gets-three-launch-contracts/#comment-976967 Fri, 07 Apr 2017 07:10:39 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=44977#comment-976967 Not another hundred. ULA’s combined reliability record is a composite of Atlas V, Delta IV, Delta IV Heavy and Delta 2. It’s currently somewhere near 120 consecutive successes. But Atlas V only accounts for about 70 of those. I think Ariane 5 has a slightly longer success streak at this point. Both records are eminently beatable, but it will take SpaceX at least two or three more years to do it.

]]> https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/ula-gets-three-launch-contracts/#comment-976834 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 07:37:11 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=44977#comment-976834 Falcon 9 puts 23 tons in orbit, Atlas 5-551 does 19 tons. The “block buy” seems to be about 36 launches for $164 million each. $102 million more than for a falcon 9 list price. Maybe they’ve got to “use up” their 36 Atlas launches? Because price competitive it is not so much. Maybe SpaceX bid for higher than normal prices? Could be that Atlas’ remarkable reliability is crucial. It takes another hundred F9 launches to beat it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_V#Cost

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