Boeing Delta IV Shares 'Space Achievement Award'
The Boeing [NYSE: BA] Delta IV team shared honors as co-recipients of the 2003 "Space Achievement Award" presented by the Space Foundation.
The award, presented yesterday at the opening ceremony of the 19th National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo., went to the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) teams for the design, development, test and successful first launches of the U.S. Air Force's EELV program.
The Air Force, Boeing and Lockheed Martin EELV teams were cited for their contribution of significant new space launch capabilities that will serve the civil, commercial and national security space interests of the United States.
"The EELV program represents the best of the expendable launch industry, and Boeing is committed to the success of this important national program," said Will Trafton, vice president and general manager, Boeing Expendable Launch Systems. "This great honor from the Space Foundation is a tribute to the thousands of men and women at Boeing who, in conjunction with the our U.S. Air Force customer, made the Delta IV family of launch vehicles a reality."
The Delta IV is one of two U.S. launch systems that support the EELV program and represents the successful integration of people, products, technologies and systems from Boeing and suppliers throughout the country and around the world.
In addition to recognizing the entire Boeing - Air Force EELV team, Trafton paid special tribute to two key individuals. "I would especially like to recognize two individuals; Col. Susan Mashiko, our EELV Program Director, and Dan Collins, Boeing's Delta Program Manager," Trafton said. "With their leadership and guidance, the EELV program has truly become one of the most significant accomplishments in the history of the aerospace industry."
The Delta IV, powered by the Boeing Rocketdyne RS-68 engine (the first large rocket engine developed in the United States in a generation), was launched for the first time on Nov. 20, 2002. The second Delta IV mission on March 10, 2003 was the first launch of an Air Force spacecraft under the EELV program. The Delta IV will fly three EELV missions this year including the inaugural flight of the Delta IV Heavy for the National Reconnaissance Office. This summer the new Delta IV launch facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., will be officially dedicated, with the first west coast EELV launch planned for early next year.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $25 billion business. It provides systems solutions to its global military, government and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; the world's largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world's largest satellite manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA's largest contractor; and a global leader in launch services.
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