FILE PHOTO: Boeing-Lockheed joint venture United Launch Alliance’s next-generation Vulcan rocket stands ready for launch on its debut flight from Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. January 7, 2024. REUTERS/Joe Skipper/File Photo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Boeing-Lockheed joint venture's launch of a new Vulcan rocket this week inaugurated a formidable rival to Elon Musk's SpaceX, a milestone long sought by the U.S. government as it seeks to build a list of launch suppliers for its satellites.
Boeing and Lockheed Martin's United Launch Alliance sent Vulcan into space for the first time on Monday, a first step toward reclaiming market share from SpaceX, whose reusable Falcon 9 rocket for years has been the main option for countries to get their satellites into space. The payload, a privately funded moon lander, will not finish its mission because of tech problems, but the Vulcan launch in Florida was a success.
