EELV
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Image:Atlas EELV family.png Image:Delta EELV family.png
The United States government–sponsored Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program was intended to develop affordable alternatives to legacy medium-to-heavy-lift launch vehicles (e.g. Titan, Delta III). The program resulted in the development of two vehicles:
The program supported two fully independent design efforts to ensure that any future design, manufacturing, or supply problems would not jeopardize the U.S.’ heavy-lift access to space. It was presumed that the commercial launch market would support two new vehicles, but demand in the first half of the 2000s has been lower than expected, due to the downturn in the commercial spacecraft market during that time, and a perceived trend toward smaller spacecraft. If market conditions do not improve, the Department of Defense may eliminate one of the EELV competitors in 2010.
Common Core Booster
The program called for the develepoment of a modular Common Core Booster liquid fuel first stage that can be used alone (possibly with strap-on solid rocket boosters) or a configuration of three CCBs tied together. The Delta CCB is in fact called the Common Booster Core (CBC). Furture upgrade options for the Delta IV include a configuration of seven CBCs.