In the competition to provide the kill vehicle booster for the U.S. national missile defense system, Orbital Sciences has developed their rocket faster than Lockheed Martin and will be the first to test launch its complete system this autumn, according to a Missile Defense Agency spokesman (see GSN, Feb. 10).

Lockheed Martin had initially been scheduled to test their offering first.

“Orbital’s booster stack is going to be ready to go sooner than Lockheed’s,” but that does not mean Lockheed Martin is having problems with their development, according to Missile Defense Agency spokesman Richard Lehner.

Boeing is the Ground-based Missile Defense system’s prime contractor and will choose to buy boosters from either one or both of the companies (see GSN, April 18; Ann Roosevelt, Defense Week, April 28).

Further Environmental Review Unnecessary

The United States has the option of add missile interceptors to its Ft. Greely, Alaska site in future years without environmental review, according to documents signed last week by the top U.S. missile defense official (see GSN, May 15, 2002).

Missile defense chief Ronald Kadish approved a future expansion of the Alaskan portion of the national missile defense shield without another environmental review, which can take up to two years, Aerospace Daily reported.  The Missile Defense Agency currently plans to deploy 16 interceptors in Alaska by 2005.  After Kadish’s decision, the agency may now build up to 40 interceptor silos there.

There is currently “no requirement” and “no funding” for more than 16 interceptors in Alaska, according to agency spokesman Rick Lehner.

“At least we’d have that flexibility in the future,” he added.

The agency is currently working on an environmental review of Vandenberg Air Force base in California, where it intends to place four interceptors by 2005 (Marc Selinger, Aerospace Daily, April 28).

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