Throwback Thursday -- United Launch Alliance

Welcome to Throwback Thursday, Inside Defense's weekly look back at what was happening on or around this day in years past.

In late November 2007, United Launch Alliance was touting its efforts to innovate, particularly in propulsion technologies. The company was also celebrating its recent accomplishments, including launching 11 satellites in the last year.

"The longterm goal of the United Launch Alliance is to be the best in the expendable launch vehicle business," Michael Gass, the company's chief executive, told Inside Defense at the time. "We believe there's going to be a need for expendable launch vehicles for decades ahead for our national security customers, NASA civil space, as well as the commercial market.”

“If we continue to innovate, continue to become more efficient, and continue to deliver mission success, our customer base will continue to utilize our product, but we clearly can't rest on our laurels of the past; we have to continue to innovate, we have to continue to stretch by continuously improving,” he added.

This week, ULA, a joint Lockheed Martin and Boeing venture, announced it would not compete for the next-generation Global Positioning Satellite launch, pointing to congressional restrictions.

Without a bid from ULA, the launch contract would presumably go to the only other certified, viable competitor, SpaceX.

Full story: ULA continues to consolidate personnel, looks to evolve capabilities