The United Launch Alliance multi-year military contractor demonstrates a new, friendly face to its customers.
Hoping to capitalize on its perfect record flight and orbital supply accuracy, the United Launch Alliance presented a new website and application that allows potential customers, engineers and astronauts to build and evaluate a space trip.
Rocketbuilder.com - the last attempt by ULA to raise its level after the technician entrepreneur Ilon Musk entered the market with his high-speed missiles Falcon 9. His company SpaceX was the first to publish the prices of missiles on the website. Standard Falcon 9 now reaches $ 62 million.
Rocketbuilder is trying to bring the public rating system to a new level, adding not only technical services, but even visiting the VIP tour of the rocket factory and launching the party.
ULA Executive Director Tori Bruno says that the cumulative insurance costs for a satellite worth $ 300 million requires about $ 12 million.
Another benefit comes from the ability of the ULA to launch satellites with minimal delays. Bruno says that, compared with industrial enterprises that go beyond 5 months, they do not extend the period longer than 2 weeks. The operational satellite can bring to the owner $ 6 million per month, but only when it is in orbit.
On Wednesday's conference webcast, Bruno also advertised the ability of an Atlas rocket to deliver a satellite to an extremely precise orbit, which saves fuel. This will extend the operating time of the device, and increase revenue.
These attributes have reduced the base price of an Atlas rocket from $ 109 million to $ 44 million.
The company SpaceX, hoping to return to the flights on December 16 (after the accident at the launch site on September 1), refused to comment on the new ULA application.
Rocketbuilder.com makes pricing transparent not only for the purchasing department, but also for its engineers, who can easily compare costs while the satellites are at the development stage.
“It will be even easier to buy a ticket to space than to board an ordinary plane,” said Bruno.
