U.S. Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center
awards Launch Operations Support modification contract
for five NRO missions
By James Spellman Jr., Space and
Missile Systems Center
September 30, 2019
The Space and Missile Systems
Center (SMC), in partnership with the National
Reconnaissance Office (NRO), awarded a sole source,
five-year, $1.18 billion Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP)
modification of the Delta IV Heavy contract
(FA8811-19-C-0002), saving $455 million.
This modification was awarded Sept.
27 to United Launch Alliance (ULA) for Launch Operations
Support (LOPS), in support of five NRO Launch (NROL)
missions: NROL-44, NROL-82, NROL-91, NROL-68 and
NROL-70.
To meet required launch dates while
maintaining the best value for the Government, SMC and
NRO divided this contract into a Launch Vehicle
Production Services (LVPS) component and a LOPS
component.
The contract awarded LVPS to ULA
for three NRO Launch (NROL) missions: NROL-91, NROL-68,
and NROL-70, on Oct. 24, 2018. This LOPS contract
modification will deliver the critical and required
launch operations support necessary to launch five NRO
missions: the aforementioned three missions, plus
NROL-44 and NROL-82. LOPS is separate and distinct from
LVPS. LVPS covers materials and manufacturing labor
needed to produce the launch vehicles, whereas LOPS
covers launch pad maintenance, and range support at
Vandenberg AFB and Cape Canaveral AFS, launch vehicle
propellants, satellite encapsulation, and the system
engineers and technicians that support production and
launch operations.
“The Space and
Missile Systems Center, with our NRO teammates, delivers
outstanding space capabilities for the nation. We have
full confidence that ULA’s Delta IV Heavy launch
vehicles will continue their impressive history of
mission success to launch key assets necessary for
national security,” said Brig. Gen. Donna Shipton, Air
Force program executive officer for Space Enterprise.
“Mission success is our top
priority. These satellites are critical to our
Intelligence Community and national security. Finalizing
the launch operations support for these Delta IV Heavy
launch services is a fundamental step to deliver these
critical national assets to their intended orbits,” said
Col. Robert Bongiovi, Director of Launch Enterprise.
“These are the last remnants of our sole source
contracts. We look forward to embracing the competitive
landscape that we have worked hard with industry to
create. The competitive launch services market is
strong, and we look forward to the Phase 2 acquisition
that leverages this market and builds upon our legacy of
mission success,” he added.
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