Pentagon, NASA Cement Booster Plans

The Pentagon and NASA have sent a joint letter to the White House outlining their proposal to utilize both existing expendable rockets and two new classes of boosters to be developed under NASA supervision.

As expected, the Pentagon and NASA will continue to use Atlas and Delta variants, and NASA will have the Pentagon's blessing to develop both a Shuttle-based CEV launcher and, following that, a Shuttle-derived heavy-lift vehicle in the 100-ton payload class.

The letter, submitted on August 5, 2005 to White House science advisor John Marburger, confirms reports that NASA will use elements of the Space Shuttle system in its next two major launch systems.

For more information, consult this Space.com source, dated August 10, 2005.