United Launch Alliance (ULA) was awarded the prestigious John R. Alison Award at the Air Force Association’s (AFA) 2011 Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 21 for its outstanding contributions in national defense.
“We applaud the combined 100 percent launch success rate of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle’s (EELV) Atlas V and Delta IV boosters,” said S. Sanford Schlitt, Air Force Association chairman of the board. “EELV has contributed to the Air Force’s ability to reel off an amazing record of 76 consecutive national security space launches since 1999.”
The EELV program is a national asset, launching our nation’s most important and complex missions into space. ULA launches missions that help the war fighters protect and serve our nation and that expand our understanding of our planet and the universe.
Established in 1992, the John R. Alison Award is one of AFA’s top awards. Prior recipients include Harry C. Stonecipher of McDonnell Douglas Corporation (1996), Dennis J. Picard of Raytheon Company (1997) and Dr. Ronald D. Sugar of Northrop Grumman (2006).
“Major General Alison was and is a great symbol of the achievements and ideals of the United States Air Force,” said Michael Gass, ULA’s president and CEO. “It has been the heroic and selfless acts of leaders like Gen Alison that have made the United States Air Force the envy of the world.”
Gass received the award on behalf of the 3,700 men and women at ULA and shared his thoughts regarding the recognition. “We are tremendously honored to have been selected for this award and join the esteemed group of previous recipients,” said Gass. “Like our customer the Air Force, we at ULA also stand on the shoulders of giants. Our Atlas and Delta rockets are two of the most reliable launch systems in history, with a legacy of more than 1,300 launches during the past five decades.”
The AFA is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization promoting public understanding of aerospace power and the pivotal role it plays in the security of the nation. AFA has more than 200 chapters nationally and internationally representing 120,000 members.
ULA program management, engineering, test and mission support functions are headquartered in Denver, Colo. Manufacturing, assembly and integration operations are located at Decatur, Ala., Harlingen, Texas, San Diego, Calif. Launch operations are located at Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., and Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
For more information on ULA, visit the ULA Web site at www.ulalaunch.com, or call the ULA Launch Hotline at 1-877-ULA-4321 (852-4321).
