The intent of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program is to develop a family of launch vehicles, services and supporting systems that will significantly reduce the life-cycle cost (LCC) compared to today's systems. A number of design features combine to provide an EELV family of launch vehicles that meets the national mission model at a significant reduction in LCC.
Key to the Lockheed Martin system is a liquid oxygen/kerosene (LO 2 -RP-1) common core booster that yields significant cost savings. The common core boosters are powered by the Pratt & Whitney manufactured RD-180 engine for U.S. government missions. This engine is based on the existing, man-rated RD-170 engine, which is the world’s only high-thrust, staged combustion, LO 2 -RP-1 engine in production status. The higher density of LO 2 -RP-1 for booster stages results in smaller, less complex launch vehicles and ground systems than liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen (LO 2 -LH 2 ) vehicles.
To achieve final orbital insertion, Lockheed Martin will use either a storable propellant upper stage (SUS) or the reliable Centaur for high-energy missions. Centaur continues to be the United States’ only state-of-the-art cryogenic upper stage in production with a proven mission success record. The SUS will be powered by an evolved Agena engine which has a heritage of over 360 missions.
Another key tenet to the Lockheed Martin system is a robust design with increased operability to reduce recurring cost. Their experience in launch site activation, operations, and payload integration has led to a simplified, low-cost operations concept.
The Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program is the pathway to acquisition reform. Under SAF HQ leadership, this effort will be managed with minimum specifications in an Integrated Product Team (IPT) environment. Incorporating DOD's streamlined source selection processes and insight versus oversight, in conjunction with Lockheed Martin's commitment to reducing cost and applying efficient business practices, the EELV program will provide this nation with assured and affordable access to space for all of its needs.
Lockheed Martin is streamlining procedures and processes to fully embrace the DOD goals of more insight versus oversight and allowing commercial-based business practices to be employed wherever prudent and cost effective. With a tradition of launch reliability and mission success, the Lockheed Martin team is committed to the development, demonstration, and introduction of the EELV product line early in the next century for both government and commercial uses.
Lockheed Martin leads a contractor team that includes Pratt & Whitney, Atlantic Research/Aerojet, Honeywell, Ensign-Bickford, and AJT & Associates.