As a partner in United Space Alliance, a joint venture with Lockheed Martin, Boeing provides overall system integration for the shuttle, as well as operations support, payload integration, engineering support and orbiter modifications. Boeing is also developing upgrades that will enable the shuttle fleet to fly through 2012. The Space Shuttle utilizes the world’s only reusable liquid fuel rocket engines, designed and built by Boeing.

In service since the 1960s, the Delta family of launch vehicles continues to evolve to meet the need for higher payloads and lower cost access to space. More than 257 Delta rockets have been launched since 1960. During the last decade, the Delta II has logged a 97 percent success rate. Larger, more capable Delta III and Delta IV rockets will begin operations in 1999 and 2001 respectively.

Boeing is prime contractor to NASA for the design, development and on-orbit performance of the U.S. components of the 16-nation International Space Station. The first components are in orbit. In November and December 1998, the first elements of the International Space Station were launched and joined in orbit. By early 2000 the station will begin continuous operations with a crew of three, growing to a crew capability of six at completion in 2004. Station assembly will require more than 40 space launches.

Boeing is Lead System Integrator for the National Missile Defense (NMD) program, which is intended to defend the United States from a limited intercontinental ballistic missile attack. The three-year, $1.5 billion effort calls for the company to develop and integrate all NMD elements. Current plans include developing and demonstrating the system to a point at which a decision to deploy can be made in 2000.

Boeing has built 40 Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS) spacecraft. Currently, a team led by Boeing has a U.S. Air Force contract to design, develop and produce the next-generation GPS satellites — the 33 satellite Block IIF. Boeing also is an equity partner in Teledesic and will be the system integrator responsible for design, development, construction and deployment of the new Ellipso global mobile satellite communication system.

Boeing is part of an international consortium, including firms from Russia, Ukraine and Norway, that will begin commercial satellite launches from a sea-based mobile platform in 1999. Home port for Sea Launch is Long Beach, California. As Team ABL, Boeing, TRW and Lockheed Martin have

As Team ABL, Boeing, TRW and Lockheed Martin have a $1.1 billion contract to conduct the program definition and risk reduction phase of the Airborne Laser program. This U.S. Air Force effort is intended to explore the feasibility of an airborne laser system for defense against tactical theater ballistic missiles.