NASA, NRO, Air Force officials establish strategy for certifying new expendable launch vehicles

Posted by Courtney E. Howard

WASHINGTON, 16 Oct. 2011. NASA, National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and U.S. Air Force representatives signed an agreement establishing clear criteria for the certification of commercial providers of launch vehicles for national security space and civil space missions. A spokesperson reveals that the U.S. government is committed to procuring commercial launch services for satellite and robotic missions, according to a spokesperson. Among the missions for which commercial launch technology will be considered is the U.S. Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. The new strategy enables competition from emerging, commercially developed launch capabilities for future Air Force, NASA, and NRO missions.

The agencies previously signed a letter of intent to collaborate on launch requirements, followed by a memorandum of understanding outlining plans for future EELV-class launch vehicle acquisition, including the need for a coordinated strategy for certification of new entrant launch systems. The new entrant launch vehicle certification strategy is the latest step in a cooperative effort by the Air Force, NASA, and NRO to take advantage of new launch capability for the agencies' missions.

The new strategy is based on NASA's existing policy directive for launch vehicle risk mitigation, while also recognizing that mission-unique requirements may result in different certification approaches. The document provides a common framework among the agencies for communicating expectations to new launch service providers.