EELV - 10 things to know with detail
- 1. EELV stands for "Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle" and refers to a family of launch vehicles developed by the United States Air Force to launch satellites and other payloads into space.
- 2. The EELV program was initiated in the 1990s to reduce the cost of launching payloads into space and increase reliability and flexibility.
- 3. The two main EELV vehicles currently in use are the Atlas V, built by United Launch Alliance, and the Delta IV, built by Boeing.
- 4. The Atlas V is a two-stage rocket that can lift payloads of up to 18,810 kg to low Earth orbit and 8,800 kg to geostationary transfer orbit.
- 5. The Delta IV is a three-stage rocket that can lift payloads of up to 28,790 kg to low Earth orbit and 14,220 kg to geostationary transfer orbit.
- 6. Both the Atlas V and Delta IV are considered reliable and have a successful launch record, with the Atlas V having completed over 90 launches and the Delta IV having completed over 30 launches.
- 7. The EELV program has been used to launch a wide range of payloads, including military satellites, communications satellites, and scientific missions.
- 8. The EELV program has also been used to launch missions to other planets, such as the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity, which was launched by an Atlas V in 2011.
- 9. The EELV program has faced criticism for its high costs compared to other commercial launch providers, such as SpaceX, which has been able to significantly reduce the cost of launching payloads into space.
- 10. The future of the EELV program is uncertain, as the Air Force is exploring new launch options and technologies, such as the development of the next-generation launch vehicle, the Vulcan Centaur, to replace the aging Atlas V and Delta IV rockets.