Main Engine Cut OffTomorrow’s Transparent Pricing Announcement from ULA
Media are invited to participate in a news conference on Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 9:30 a.m. ET, during which United Launch Alliance (ULA) CEO Tory Bruno will unveil an innovative website which will set a new standard for pricing transparency and transform how customers shop for launch services.
This new website will reflect the true total cost of launch and makes launch services more transparent and accessible to anyone. With a click of a button, people around the world will be able to build a rocket that optimizes the cost-effectiveness of their spacecraft designs.
A website alone won’t attract more customers, so it’s tough to read the tea leaves and say what exactly is transformative about the announcement. But the existence of the announcement alone shows how much of an effort ULA is making towards becoming competitive in commercial launch services. Just a few months ago, they formally announced RapidLaunch, and just a few weeks ago, they booked their first flight.
Bruno has said in the past that ULA must enter the commercial market in order to stay in business in the next era of spaceflight, and they’re making noise in that direction. RapidLaunch is a great way to play to their competitive advantage—expensive, but reliable. We’ll see what they have in store for tomorrow.
Programming note: I’m shifting my typical podcast schedule one day, so that I can record a show tomorrow afternoon about the announcement. Tweet or email me your thoughts.