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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 |
#2
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Boeing Losing Launch Business
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 * |
#3
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Boeing Losing Launch Business
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. | |
#4
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Boeing Losing Launch Business
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 |
#5
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Boeing Losing Launch Business
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 * |
#6
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Boeing Losing Launch Business
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 |
#7
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Boeing Losing Launch Business
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 |
#8
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Boeing Losing Launch Business
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 |
#9
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Boeing Losing Launch Business
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 |
#10
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Boeing Losing Launch Business
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 |
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