Lockheed to Sell ILS Stake

[edkyle98]

On September 7, 2006, Lockheed Martin annouced plans to sell its interest in both International Launch Services (ILS) and Lockheed Khrunichev Energia International (LKEI) to Space Transport Inc.. ILS, the 11 year old Russian-American joint venture that has offered both Russian Proton and American Atlas launch options, will continue to offer Proton after the sale. Atlas will not fly for ILS in the future, but will instead be offered by Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services. To date there have been 37 ILS Proton launches.<br /><br />The sale may be a precursor to Lockheed's pending participation in the Space Launch Alliance (SLA) with Boeing. Boeing and Lockheed Martin plan to create the SLA joint venture by combining the production, engineering, test and launch operations of Boeing's Delta and Lockheed Martin's Atlas rockets. To date, Boeing has not announced any changes of its partial ownership of the Sea Launch international venture that is similar, in many respects, to the ILS venture.<br /><br /> - Ed Kyle

 

[PistolPete]

I wonder how deep Lockheed has it's finger in Space Transport Inc's pie. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>

 

[edkyle98]

"I wonder how deep Lockheed has it's finger in Space Transport Inc's pie."<br /><br />Not at all once the sale's done, since ILS will no longer use Atlas launch vehicles. <br /><br />I wonder if this means the end of commercial satellite launches by Atlas.<br /><br />I also wonder if it portends a similar move by Boeing with regard to Sea Launch.<br /><br /> - Ed Kyle

 

[nyarlathotep]

Considering that Sea Launch is still burning money, they'll probably sell that too.

 

[rybanis]

Why would LM want to end commercial Atlas launches? They're still making money on those, right?<br /><br />Sad day, I wanted to see more detailed proton launch coverage. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[PistolPete]

LM is still going to sell Atlas launches commercially, they just won't be selling them through ILS. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>

 

[edkyle98]

"Why would LM want to end commercial Atlas launches? They're still making money on those, right? "<br /><br />It isn't a matter of LM wanting to end commercial launches, it is a question of whether Atlas *can* win any commercial contracts. It can cost more to launch a comsat on an Atlas V than on a Proton or a Sea Launch Zenit or an Ariane 5. With ILS, Atlas ended up serving as a backup to Proton.<br /><br />As to whether LM makes money on Atlas, both Lockheed and Boeing had to ask for mucho sustaining money from the government to keep their EELV production lines running to handle government launches. Without that dough, Atlas V and Delta IV wouldn't exist. Even with that money, Lockheed and Boeing are planning to merge their two EELV efforts into the Space Launch Alliance venture in order to cut costs (or is it losses they are cutting?). Some observers think that the Alliance will eventually move toward use of only one of the two EELVs.<br /><br /> - Ed Kyle

 

[trailrider]

Hmmm! What with Delta IV components (RS-68) being used for Ares V, it might make more sense for L-M to keep the Atlas V only as a backup for EELV purposes, and let the Boeing "division" handle the EELV launches. But who knows? Can't tell the players without a corporate scorecard, and maybe not then! I wonder if any of this has anything to do with Mullaly's move to Ford? You don't suppose Lockheed-Boeing would buy Ford...or visa versa, do you? <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />Ad Luna! Ad Ares! Ad Astra!

 

[PistolPete]

If what you say is true, then within a few years there will only be one commercial launcher within the contenental US. It seems that American "Big Aerospace" just can't compete in the private sector against foreign competitors anymore. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>