Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin to Collaborate on Orbital Space Plane

Space News ^ | September 25, 2003 | Brian Berger

[anymouse]

The field of likely bidders to build the Orbital Space Plane is about to shrink from three to two, according to industry sources.

Northrop Grumman is dropping plans to bid for the Orbital Space Plane prime contract and has entered discussions with Lockheed Martin Corp. about a teaming arrangement on the program, industry sources said. Such a move essentially would pit the Lockheed Martin-Northrop Grumman team against Boeing Co. for the multibillion-dollar contract.

What this would mean for Northrop Grumman’s current Orbital Space Plane partner, Orbital Sciences Corp., is not immediately clear. Orbital Sciences spokesman Barron Beneski could not be reached immediately for comment.

Billed by NASA as the nation’s next space vehicle, the Orbital Space Plane would launch atop an expendable rocket and be used to ferry astronaut crews to and from the international space station. Plans call for fielding an early space station crew rescue version of the vehicle by 2010, but NASA is considering moving up that schedule by two years.

Northrop Grumman spokesman Brooks McKinney confirmed his company is in discussions with Lockheed Martin about teaming on the Orbital Space Plane, but could not say whether the companies have notified NASA of the proposed partnership.

“We aren’t prepared to discuss this relationship because the relationship has not been formalized in terms of the roles and responsibilities,” McKinney said.

Northrop Grumman’s move comes as NASA prepares to release a formal request for proposal to industry in November with the intent to award the prime contract for the Orbital Space Plane around mid-2004. Northrop Grumman, Boeing and Lockheed Martin are each currently under contract to NASA working on candidate designs for the Orbital Space Plane.

NASA announced Sept. 23 that it had completed a more detailed set of technical specifications for the Orbital Space Plane in advance of the planned solicitation.

[anymouse]

Given LockMart's history of expensive failure with X-33 and Northrop Grumman’s limited space experience of late, and Boeing's legal and financial problems, this bodes ill for orbital space plane progress. I smell another boondoggle in the making.

[anymouse]

Space ping.

[KevinDavis]

Space Ping! This is the space ping list! Let me know if you want on or off this list!

[Brett66]

Let's give them until 2008 to fully realize massive cost over-runs and then face possible cancelllation. By that time Rutan,Carmack etc. will be flying passengers into space on a routine basis. Maybe congress will be willing to send some billions in that direction.

[RightWhale]

If Northrop-Grumman-Lockheed-Martin were to assemble every aerospace engineer that ever worked for any of them, they would have right there nearly every aerospace engineer that ever lived. In other words, if there is expertise in the world, they have it.

[SJSAMPLE]

They might even be able to bring them back.
Rutan is a great AIRCRAFT designer, but I'm still waiting to see if he can being his monkeys back to Earth ALIVE.

[RightWhale]

You know the [I think it is the] elm seed that has one wing and spirals down off the tree like a disabled helicopter? That's what I see when I see SpaceShipOne. If there is any control or control surface damage, that is what the winged shuttlecock will do. A corkscrew spin, all the way down. I felt the same about the space shuttle 30 years ago. It won't be monkeys riding that, just a couple men with their heart in their throat until the thing lands properly.

[Camel Joe]

If I were Boeing I would insist in the right to market a commercial version of the craft.

[boris]

"If Northrop-Grumman-Lockheed-Martin were to assemble every aerospace engineer that ever worked for any of them, they would have right there nearly every aerospace engineer that ever lived. In other words, if there is expertise in the world, they have it."

Except me.

--Boris

[RightWhale]

Yeah, but most of the people you know in the field. Not me, either, unless they include a couple others such as GE.

[anymouse]

Yes, but all the good ones got feed up with them and went on to other companies. Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin are the summation of the worst of aerospace corporate culture. Boeing may be left leaning, but they do treat their employees better than the NoGrumLockMart mind grinder.

[Brimack34]

You my friend are the smartest person I know!! Having relatives and myself working with all parts mentioned I concur. Cheers!!!!

[anymouse]

I speak from experience. The sad part is that I may have to walk back into the "mind grinder" soon. Wish I could find "honest work" instead of being a cog in the aerospace contractor machine. But even cogs FReep for a better future. :)

[MikeD]

Thanks for the ping. Let's hear it for Armadillo/Carmack for the future!

MD