Press Release

United Launch Alliance Approved – Alliance to Bring Hundreds of Jobs to North Alabama

By SpaceRef Editor
October 4, 2006
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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Bud Cramer (Ala.-05) announced today the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has approved the joint agreement between the Boeing Company and the Lockheed Martin Corporation to create the United Launch Alliance (ULA). The five FTC Commissioners unanimously approved the ULA agreement.

ULA is an equal partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, combining services currently provided separately by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems’ Expendable Launch Systems division and by Lockheed Martin’s Space Systems Company.

As part of the approved Alliance, production and assembly of the Atlas V launch vehicle will be consolidated at Boeing’s Delta manufacturing facility in Decatur, Alabama. As a result, the Decatur facility will become the primary manufacturer of both the Boeing Delta rockets and the Lockheed Martin Atlas rockets. Boeing officials have previously stated that the Alliance would bring hundreds of new jobs to the Decatur facility.

“Today’s final approval of the ULA by the FTC is great news for North Alabama and reaffirms our area’s commitment to developing our country’s space launch business,” said Cramer. “Having this joint state-of-the-art rocket assembly facility located so close to Marshall Space Flight Center and our area’s universities benefit both the launch industry and our nation’s space program.

“I worked hard to bring the Delta facility to Decatur, I’ve supported the EELV program in Congress over the years, and I look forward to helping Boeing and Lockheed Martin see this transition through.”

Representative Cramer led the effort to bring Boeing’s 1.5 million-square-foot Delta production facility to Decatur in 1997.

SpaceRef staff editor.