On June 18, ULA’s Atlas V rocket launched two lunar missions, and on June 27, a NASA/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration GOES satellite was launched on a Delta IV. The launches were ULA’s No. 27 and No. 28 — with eight of those coming this year.
Q: ULA has had an impressive record of launches in the 2 1/2 years that it has been a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co. What has it been like melding the two cultures and what lies ahead?
A: As two former competitors, there have been some challenges but there are common ideas involved. We are all rocket scientists. We have 4,000 people who stand ready for all the programs.
There are ups and downs in the business. There is a fairly small community of space, and we have good cooperation.
Q: Have you had a chance to look through the Obama administration’s proposed fiscal year 2010 budget for NASA? Are there opportunities there for United Launch Alliance?
A: I haven’t thumbed through the NASA budget thoroughly, but we have people who have done that. There’s money to support the Constellation and Ares rocket exploratory missions to the moon and beyond.
There’s a large commitment for science missions that focus on Earth observations. We think there are new business opportunities for us there.
Q: At the recent National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, you talked about the future of space and the need to attract and educate the next generation. What do you see lying ahead?
A: We’re at a crossroads as a nation. Space is important on the civil and military levels, but what nation can afford that exploration?
We also need to work on attracting the next generation of engineers and scientists. As some programs end, there will be a skills gap in aerospace, but we need to think about how best to retrain the workforce and educate new people. They have to have the passion.
Edited for length and clarity by Ann Schrader.
