Boeing

Sea Launch partners and Boeing Space & Communications officials announced today their intention to have a common sales and marketing organization for Sea Launch and Boeing Delta commercial launch services.

Gale Schluter, vice president and general manager Boeing Expendable Launch Systems, announced that the new organization and its leadership were outlined in a memo to employees on Friday.

The new marketing and sales organization will fall under Boeing Launch Services, Inc. and will be led by former Sea Launch president and general manager Will Trafton, who will report to Schluter.

A separate organization under Schluter and Trafton will handle U.S. government marketing and sales for the Boeing Delta. Dave Schweikle will be responsible for the sales of launch services to the U.S. government and report to the vice president-general manager/vice president-deputy general manager of Expendable Launch Systems. Both marketing and sales organizations will be located in Huntington Beach, Calif.

While Boeing Launch Services, Inc., will market and sell both Sea Launch and Delta commercial launch services, the Sea Launch venture will continue to operate as a separate entity.

"From a customer service and mission assurance standpoint, it was imperative that we moved toward common marketing and sales, without changing the way the Sea Launch or Delta programs are run," Schluter said. "Our customers have a high degree of confidence in both programs, so we have not changed anything about the way in which we will interface with the customers leading up to launch."

"The creation of Boeing Launch Services is significant for both Sea Launch and the Delta program," said Trafton. "BLS will provide a wider array of launch service options through a single sales and marketing organization which we believe will lead to time and cost savings for our customers. It also strengthens our mutual launch backup agreement, signed in March of this year, which, in turn, means greater flexibility and schedule assurance for our customers. Finally, this action demonstrates Boeing's long-term commitment to Sea Launch."

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Boeing Delta Web Site: www.boeing.com/delta