Boeing Losing Launch Business

Last week, a little-noted news report revealed that Canada's
Radarsat 2 satellite had been switched from its long-planned
Boeing Delta 2 launch to Starsem's Soyuz. The reason for
the change was not mentioned, but the ongoing Boeing
machinists strike could very well be a contributing factor.
Boeing's Decatur plant only delivered two Delta 2 boosters
last year, and no new Delta's have been in production at the
site for months now.

Perhaps the impending Space Launch Alliance approval
will finally hasten a settlement with the union. If not, I'll
begin to wonder if we might be seeing the end of Delta.

- Ed Kyle

In article .com, Ed Kyle
says...

Last week, a little-noted news report revealed that Canada's
Radarsat 2 satellite had been switched from its long-planned
Boeing Delta 2 launch to Starsem's Soyuz. The reason for
the change was not mentioned, but the ongoing Boeing
machinists strike could very well be a contributing factor.
Boeing's Decatur plant only delivered two Delta 2 boosters
last year, and no new Delta's have been in production at the
site for months now.

Perhaps the impending Space Launch Alliance approval
will finally hasten a settlement with the union. If not, I'll
begin to wonder if we might be seeing the end of Delta.

The handwriting has been on the wall for Delta *II* for some time
now. It's going away around 2010 barring a horde of customers
knocking down Boeing's door, and they aren't going out looking
for customers.

This, and when particular customers chose to make the switch,
has little to do with Boeing's launch business. That's what
the Delta *IV* is for.


--
*John Schilling * "Anything worth doing, *
*Member:AIAA,NRA,ACLU,SAS,LP * is worth doing for money" *
*Chief Scientist & General Partner * -13th Rule of Acquisition *
*White Elephant Research, LLC * "There is no substitute *
* for success" *
*661-718-0955 or 661-275-6795 * -58th Rule of Acquisition *

In article ,
John Schilling wrote:
...begin to wonder if we might be seeing the end of Delta.

[Delta II]
has little to do with Boeing's launch business. That's what
the Delta *IV* is for.

Except that it's also what Sea Launch is for. And *that* side of
Boeing's launch business is a good deal healthier than Delta IV.
--
spsystems.net is temporarily off the air; | Henry Spencer
mail to henry at zoo.utoronto.ca instead. |

John Schilling wrote:
In article .com, Ed Kyle
says...

Last week, a little-noted news report revealed that Canada's
Radarsat 2 satellite had been switched from its long-planned
Boeing Delta 2 launch to Starsem's Soyuz. The reason for
the change was not mentioned, but the ongoing Boeing
machinists strike could very well be a contributing factor.
Boeing's Decatur plant only delivered two Delta 2 boosters
last year, and no new Delta's have been in production at the
site for months now.

Perhaps the impending Space Launch Alliance approval
will finally hasten a settlement with the union. If not, I'll
begin to wonder if we might be seeing the end of Delta.

The handwriting has been on the wall for Delta *II* for some time
now. It's going away around 2010 barring a horde of customers
knocking down Boeing's door, and they aren't going out looking
for customers.

This, and when particular customers chose to make the switch,
has little to do with Boeing's launch business. That's what
the Delta *IV* is for.

Delta 2 is going away in a few years, but I'm wondering if
Delta 4 might disappear too, if the strike isn't soon settled
(or the union broken). The Delta 4 production line is shut
down by the strike too, as are both Delta 4 launch sites.
How long can Uncle Sam wait before he starts switching
payloads to Atlas?

- Ed Kyle

In article . com, Ed Kyle
says...

John Schilling wrote:

The handwriting has been on the wall for Delta *II* for some time
now. It's going away around 2010 barring a horde of customers
knocking down Boeing's door, and they aren't going out looking
for customers.

This, and when particular customers chose to make the switch,
has little to do with Boeing's launch business. That's what
the Delta *IV* is for.

Delta 2 is going away in a few years, but I'm wondering if
Delta 4 might disappear too, if the strike isn't soon settled
(or the union broken). The Delta 4 production line is shut
down by the strike too, as are both Delta 4 launch sites.
How long can Uncle Sam wait before he starts switching
payloads to Atlas?

I don't think Uncle Sam can manage to *not* wait a year or two,
which is what it would probably take to arrange an actual Atlas
replacement launch and make the switch. Yes, yes, assembly-line
manufacture and interchangeable payload interfaces, but this is
the Military-Industrial Complex at work, and it doesn't really
work that way.

I also don't think there are many unions out there with a war
chest that will stretch to cover a year or two of strike pay
for the Boeing workers.


--
*John Schilling * "Anything worth doing, *
*Member:AIAA,NRA,ACLU,SAS,LP * is worth doing for money" *
*Chief Scientist & General Partner * -13th Rule of Acquisition *
*White Elephant Research, LLC * "There is no substitute *
* for success" *
*661-718-0955 or 661-275-6795 * -58th Rule of Acquisition *

John Schilling wrote:
In article . com, Ed Kyle
says...

John Schilling wrote:

The handwriting has been on the wall for Delta *II* for some time
now. It's going away around 2010 barring a horde of customers
knocking down Boeing's door, and they aren't going out looking
for customers.

This, and when particular customers chose to make the switch,
has little to do with Boeing's launch business. That's what
the Delta *IV* is for.

Delta 2 is going away in a few years, but I'm wondering if
Delta 4 might disappear too, if the strike isn't soon settled
(or the union broken). The Delta 4 production line is shut
down by the strike too, as are both Delta 4 launch sites.
How long can Uncle Sam wait before he starts switching
payloads to Atlas?

I don't think Uncle Sam can manage to *not* wait a year or two,
which is what it would probably take to arrange an actual Atlas
replacement launch and make the switch. Yes, yes, assembly-line
manufacture and interchangeable payload interfaces, but this is
the Military-Industrial Complex at work, and it doesn't really
work that way.

I also don't think there are many unions out there with a war
chest that will stretch to cover a year or two of strike pay
for the Boeing workers.

OK then. How long before Uncle Sam considers the strike
to be a threat to national security? Would the U.S. government
be able to court-order the union back to work at some point?

- Ed Kyle

why? they could launch today using management and engineers in place of
technicians.


"Ed Kyle" wrote in message
ups.com...

John Schilling wrote:
In article . com, Ed
Kyle
says...

John Schilling wrote:

The handwriting has been on the wall for Delta *II* for some time
now. It's going away around 2010 barring a horde of customers
knocking down Boeing's door, and they aren't going out looking
for customers.

This, and when particular customers chose to make the switch,
has little to do with Boeing's launch business. That's what
the Delta *IV* is for.

Delta 2 is going away in a few years, but I'm wondering if
Delta 4 might disappear too, if the strike isn't soon settled
(or the union broken). The Delta 4 production line is shut
down by the strike too, as are both Delta 4 launch sites.
How long can Uncle Sam wait before he starts switching
payloads to Atlas?

I don't think Uncle Sam can manage to *not* wait a year or two,
which is what it would probably take to arrange an actual Atlas
replacement launch and make the switch. Yes, yes, assembly-line
manufacture and interchangeable payload interfaces, but this is
the Military-Industrial Complex at work, and it doesn't really
work that way.

I also don't think there are many unions out there with a war
chest that will stretch to cover a year or two of strike pay
for the Boeing workers.

OK then. How long before Uncle Sam considers the strike
to be a threat to national security? Would the U.S. government
be able to court-order the union back to work at some point?

- Ed Kyle

no_one wrote:
why? they could launch today using management and engineers in place of
technicians.

I'll believe that when I see it. It certainly wouldn't happen in short

order because the payloads still have to be erected. This also
wouldn't address the problem of manufacturing new Deltas.

- Ed Kyle

no_one wrote:
why? they could launch today using management and engineers in place of
technicians.

I'll believe that when I see it. It certainly wouldn't happen in short

order because the payloads still have to be erected. This also
wouldn't address the problem of manufacturing new Deltas.

- Ed Kyle

This is interesting timing:
Federal mediators may intervene in rocket strike

BY TODD HALVORSON
FLORIDA TODAY

The union representing striking Delta rocket workers is asking federal
mediators to make certain a Boeing Co. offer to return to the negotiating
table is being made in good faith, officials said Tuesday.

Boeing contacted the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service on Tuesday
and asked for a meeting with union negotiating committees at Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station as well as sites in California and Alabama.

No new negotiation date has been set.

About 1,500 machinists, including 288 here, represented by the International
Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers walked off the job Nov. 2
after the union and the company failed to come to terms on a new three-year
contract.

On hold as a result are a launch of a classified payload for the National
Reconnaissance Office, an atmospheric science mission for NASA and an
advanced weather satellite for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.

Federal mediator Charlie Griffin and Boeing spokesman Joseph LaMarca Jr.
confirmed the company asked the FMCS to facilitate a meeting with union
negotiators.

IAM spokesman Robert Wood said the union hesitated, and wants to make sure
the company is making a good faith offer to return to the bargaining table.
Union and company leaders met Jan. 9 in Seattle to review issues and neither
party was willing to budge.

Wood said IAM president R. Thomas Buffenbarger intends to contact FMCS
director Arthur Rosenfeld today to make certain the request "is not another
ruse to discourage our members on strike."

Boeing is offering a three-year contract that calls for cost-of-living
allowances plus a $3,000 lump sum payment in the first year, a 2 percent pay
increase in the second year and a 2.5 percent increase in the third year.

The union says the pay package that would not keep pace with inflation.

LaMarca said the company still stands by its latest offer.

"We've always been willing to meet and discuss the issues," he said.

"Ed Kyle" wrote in message
ps.com...
no_one wrote:
why? they could launch today using management and engineers in place of
technicians.

I'll believe that when I see it. It certainly wouldn't happen in short

order because the payloads still have to be erected. This also
wouldn't address the problem of manufacturing new Deltas.

- Ed Kyle