Boeing [NYSE: BA] officials
announced today that the U.S. Air Force has called up its fifth Delta IV
launch.
The launch for the Defense Satellite Program, identified as DSP-23, is
scheduled for late August 2003 aboard the second Delta IV Heavy mission. The
other four Air Force Delta IV missions include a Defense Satellite
Communications System launch scheduled for June 2002, a Delta IV Heavy
demonstration in late 2002, a mission for the National Reconnaissance Office
in March 2003, and a Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellite
scheduled for launch in June 2003. In all, the Air Force has contracted with
Boeing for 22 Delta IV missions.
“The DSP launch in late August 2003 is another positive sign of the Air
Force’s confidence in the Delta IV program,” said Dan Collins, vice
president and program manager, Boeing Delta programs. This will be the
second Delta IV Heavy mission and will follow the Air Force funded Delta IV
Heavy demonstration flight scheduled for late 2002.
“Officials waited to assign the DSP-23 mission until we had successfully
demonstrated the RS-68 engine’s capabilities,” Collins said. “The progress
we’ve made with the engine over the past three months has enabled our
customer to move out and order this mission.”
The five Delta IV variants include the Delta IV Medium, Delta IV Heavy, and
three Delta IV Medium Plus versions that are designated by the size of
fairing and number of solid rockets used. The Delta IV family of rockets is
capable of launching payloads to geosynchronous transfer orbit between 4,000
and 13,000 kilograms. Currently Boeing has a backlog of more than 40 Delta
IV missions.
Contacts
Walt Rice:
Boeing Launch Hotline:
Boeing Delta Web Site:
(714) 896-5171
(714) 896-4770
www.boeing.com/delta
