DECATUR AL- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden discussed the state of the nation's space agency, including science and human exploration, during his visit to the United Launch Alliance (ULA) production facility in Decatur, Alabama, where ULA manufactures both Atlas and Delta launch vehicles. Joined by ULA President and CEO Michael Gass, Bolden viewed hardware being prepared for future NASA missions and hosted a town hall meeting with ULA's Alabama employees where he thanked them for their efforts in building the highly reliable Atlas and Delta rockets. ULA launches critical space capabilities for the Department of Defense, NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and other commercial customers.
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-NASA Administrator Charles Bolden addresses United Launch Alliance employees in Decatur, Alabama on November 28, 2012. -Image ULA-
The Atlas and Delta heritage launch vehicles have supported NASA's presence in space for more than 50 years, including the manned Mercury flights and America's early interplanetary missions. ULA's partnership with NASA continues to bear fruit, including the launch of the twin Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) earlier this year. RBSP was the 17th NASA mission launched on a ULA rocket. ULA will launch NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)-K satellite relay system, Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) imagery satellite, and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) missions in 2013.
"The capabilities NASA builds are precision scientific instruments that would take several years to re-create if a launch failed. ULA has successfully delivered each and every time," ULA's Gass said. - FMI: United Launch Alliance
-NASA Administrator Charles Bolden addresses United Launch Alliance employees in Decatur, Alabama on November 28, 2012. -Image ULA-
The Atlas and Delta heritage launch vehicles have supported NASA's presence in space for more than 50 years, including the manned Mercury flights and America's early interplanetary missions. ULA's partnership with NASA continues to bear fruit, including the launch of the twin Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) earlier this year. RBSP was the 17th NASA mission launched on a ULA rocket. ULA will launch NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)-K satellite relay system, Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) imagery satellite, and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) missions in 2013.
"The capabilities NASA builds are precision scientific instruments that would take several years to re-create if a launch failed. ULA has successfully delivered each and every time," ULA's Gass said. - FMI: United Launch Alliance