11 thoughts on “SpaceX Versus ULA”

  1. I just saw that at Instapundit.

    My comment:

    Whoo. Nice zinger at the end.

    Note to self: Don’t get into an argument with Elon Musk.

  2. One of the other issues raised at that hearing, By Musk, was the reliance of ULA’s Atlas on Russian engines. (the RD-180). And now, just days later, we learn that Russia is again considering withholding the sale of more.

    We, per ULA claims, have a 2 year supply of engines.

    The ULA potential answer seems to be producing them in the US under license, but… how fast can they do it, and can they do it without getting any parts from Russia? (for some reason, they previously predicated the US construction option on the premise that they could obtain parts from Russia).

  4. Oddly, more than 1/2 of Atlas comes from outside of the US, with most of that, from Russia. As such, it is not the engines that matter, but the rest of the vehicle. It is very likely that ULA’s Atlas WILL have a launch interruption before 2 years is up, if Russia puts up sanctions.

    Musk is right. Time for ULA to get Delta cheaper and working.

    1. “Apparently, reproducing some coatings hasn’t proved possible to this point.”

      Maybe it’s about surface texture rather some sort of compound. Like a golf ball.

      1. It’s about resistance to oxidation by high pressure hot Oxygen. The engine is cooled by the larger amounts of cryogenic Oxygen, not the kerosene. The pumps are driven by turbines running hot Oxygen. The Soviets put over a decade of work into finding out how to do those coatings, IIRC.

  7. Even more off topic, Instapundit had a link to an NBC investigation that revealed that NASA Ames was selling deeply discounted jet fuel to the elite’s private jets (including a 757 and 767).

    I guess we finally figured out who must be getting that sweet sweet Iraqi crude. ^_^

Comments are closed.