The Federal Trade Commission has approved the formation of the United Launch Alliance, the merger of launch services provided by Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Approval did not come quickly, and there may still be some disgruntled entities, but last week at AFA’s Air & Space Conference in Washington, Gen. Kevin Chilton, head of Air Force Space Command, maintained that the venture would save money and improve assured access to space. (Here are the Boeing and Lockheed Martin statements on the FTC clearance.)
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
