DoD Not Interested in Partnership With NASA on SLS Written 8 June 2023

Reuters reports that NASA is “pushing ahead with plans to hand ownership of the Space Launch System (SLS) to a Boeing-Northrop joint venture in the next few years, with a goal of cutting in half the rocket’s price tag – estimated at $2 billion. But finding a market for a giant and costly rocket promises to be difficult, with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) – seen as a potential customer – signaling little interest.” In an interview, Col. Douglas Pentecost, a senior rocket acquisition official with the Space Force, said, “It’s a capability right now that we, the DoD, don’t need. … We have the capability that we need at the affordability price that we have, so we’re not that interested in some partnership with NASA on the SLS system."
Full Story (Reuters)