Aerojet Vice President Julie Van Kleeck declined comment on reports that Aerojet has offered $2 billion to acquire United Launch Alliance (ULA), a 50-50 rocket launch venture of Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co.
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“It’s an unsolicited proposal”, said Boeing spokesman Todd Blecher.
Boeing said it plans to move forward with its partnership with Blue Origin LLC to develop a new rocket engine, called the BE-4, which is scheduled to make its first flight in 2019.
A source familiar with the matter said Lockheed’s refusal to comment did not reveal any disagreement between Lockheed and Boeing, and both companies agreed to reject the bid. “There was no serious consideration of this and it’s not even in our expansive thought at this point in time”.
Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc on Tuesday said it expected to complete its new AR-1 rocket engine by 2019 to replace a soon-to-be banned Russian engine, but the date could slip if it does not receive enough US government funding. Experts speculate a hypothetical purchase of ULA by Aerojet Rocketdyne would shake up the global rocket marketplace, an industry feeling increasing pressure as more private forces like Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin aim to offer low-cost launches. “Others are trying to attain the record we have”, he told reporters at the conference.
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While the rockets are extremely reliable, they’ve also increased in cost. “We think we have a real good competitive position and we’re committed to the longterm”.
