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91-525: The company was formed in 1956 as a joint venture between two newly created Independent Television (ITV) companies, ATV and ABC . The former operated the contract to broadcast programming to the Midlands during the week, the latter at weekends. The respective companies would later establish production centres near London and Manchester (ATV at Elstree , ABC at Teddington and Didsbury ), but despite conflicts over contract applications and rivalry over

182-599: A Cygnus cargo capsule in 2017. The weather satellite NOAA-20 (JPSS-1) was launched by a Delta II rocket in November 2017. An Atlas V carried the SBIRS-GEO 4 military satellite in January 2018. The Atlas V's launch of NASA 's InSight to Mars in 2018 was the first interplanetary probe to depart from the U.S. West Coast. In August 2018, a Delta IV Heavy launched Parker Solar Probe , NASA's solar space probe that

273-658: A Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) satellite, the Juno spacecraft and Curiosity rover. The Delta II launches placed the SAC-D and Suomi NPP satellites into orbit, as well as two spacecraft associated with NASA's GRAIL lunar mission. Delta IV launches carried the NROL-49 , NROL-27 , and another GPS satellite. ULA's 2012 launches included six Atlas Vs and four Delta IVs. The Atlas system carried Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) and AEHF satellites, another Boeing X-37,

364-1018: A temporary partnership for the purpose of carrying out a particular project, such partnership can also be called a joint venture where the parties are " co-venturers ". The venture can be a business JV (for example, Dow Corning), a project/asset JV intended to pursue one specific project only, or a JV aimed at defining standards or serving as an "industry utility" that provides a narrow set of services to industry participants. Some major joint ventures include United Launch Alliance , Vevo , Hulu , Virgin Media O2 , Penske Truck Leasing , and Owens-Corning . According to Gerard Baynham of Water Street Partners, there has been much negative press about joint ventures, but objective data indicate that they may actually outperform wholly owned and controlled affiliates . He writes, "A different narrative emerged from our recent analysis of U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) data, collected from more than 20,000 entities. According to

455-439: A 2.2 percent average ROA, while wholly owned and controlled affiliates in the U.S. only realized a 0.7 percent ROA." In European law , the term "joint venture" is an exclusive legal concept, better defined under the rules of company law . In France , the term "joint venture" is variously translated as "association d'entreprises", "entreprise conjointe", "coentreprise" or "entreprise commune". A JV can be brought about in

546-405: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket into a stable parking orbit . During the next hour, the second stage reignited to place Lucy on an interplanetary trajectory in a heliocentric orbit on a twelve-year mission to two groups of Sun-Jupiter Lagrange point Trojan asteroids as well as a close flyby of a mainbelt asteroid during one of three planned passes through the asteroid belt . If

637-526: A company. By its formation, the JV becomes a new entity with the implications that: On the receipt of the Certificate of Incorporation, a company can commence its business. This is a legal area and is fraught with difficulty as the laws of countries differ, particularly on the enforceability of "heads of" or shareholder agreements. For some legal reasons, it may be called a Memorandum of Understanding . It

728-845: A launch of the Atlas V rocket on 22 March 2016 , a minor first-stage anomaly led to shutdown of the first-stage engine approximately five seconds before anticipated. The Centaur upper stage was able to compensate by firing for approximately one minute longer than planned using its reserved fuel margin. Atlas V rockets carried MUOS-5 in June 2016, NROL-61 satellites in July 2016, and the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft in September 2016. ULA launched multiple satellites in late 2016. The weather satellite Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R)

819-805: A lower than intended orbit. The NRO declared the launch a success. 2007 also saw ULA's first two interplanetary spacecraft launches using the Delta II; the Phoenix probe was launched to Mars in August 2007 and the Dawn satellite to was launched to the asteroids Vesta and Ceres in September 2007. Using a Delta II, the WorldView-1 satellite was also launched into a low Earth orbit on behalf of DigitalGlobe . The company's first launch to geostationary transfer orbit using an Atlas V 421 variant carrying

910-467: A lunar lander for NASA was rejected in 2021 with the agency calling the companies bid "low in readiness." The Delta family of rockets was retired in early 2024, having been replaced in the market by the SpaceX's Falcon Heavy , which was more powerful, less expensive, and faster to build, leading ULA to lose all commercial contracts. ULA planned an orderly retirement and had procured and had in hand 100 of

1001-606: A new engine, ULA announced it would be partnering with Blue Origin to develop the BE-4 . The company also announced the Vulcan, a next-generation launch vehicle, to be funded through a public-private partnership. Bruno believed the Vulcan would offer costs that would make it competitive in the commercial satellite sector. However, despite these cost-cutting measures, ULA launches continued to be more expensive than those offered by SpaceX. The company's joint bid with Dynetics to develop

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1092-419: A new market, particularly emerging market ; to gain scale efficiencies by combining assets and operations; to share risk for major investments or projects; or to access skills and capabilities. Most joint ventures are incorporated, although some, as in the oil and gas industry , are "unincorporated" joint ventures that mimic a corporate entity. With individuals, when two or more persons come together to form

1183-496: A principal disadvantage is absence of an interested and influential Chinese party. As of the 3rd Quarter of 2004, WFOEs had replaced EJVs and CJVs as follows: (*)=Financial Vventures by EJVs/CJVs (**)=Approved JVs These enterprises are formed under the Sino-Foreign Investment Act. The capital is composed of value of stock in exchange for the value of the property given to the enterprise. The liability of

1274-495: A raft, and the engines and avionics module would be retrieved for refurbishment. ULA estimates that this approach could reduce the cost of producing the first stage of its rockets by 65%. Development of the Vulcan Centaur has been funded as a public–private partnership with the U.S. government contributing approximately US$ 1.2 billion toward initial development costs. Boeing and Lockheed Martin are expected to contribute

1365-410: A substantial investment saw the creation of an office block, canteen and second studio adjacent to the existing site ( 52°29′51″N 1°53′03″W  /  52.497425°N 1.884092°W  / 52.497425; -1.884092 ), while the facade of the original cinema was re-constructed to match. New facilities included an enlarged telecine facility, master control and presentation suites. In 1967,

1456-645: A top secret spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office, on board their Atlas V in a 531 configuration. This launch was notable because it was the first flight of the GEM-63 solid rocket boosters, a version of which will be used on their Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle. On 18 May 2021, the SBIRS GEO 5 missile-warning satellite was launched on an Atlas V 421 rocket. The Lucy spaceflight began on 16 October 2021 upon launch aboard

1547-404: Is allowed to enter into contracts with appropriate government authorities to acquire land use rights, rent buildings, and receive utility services. In this it is more similar to a CJV than an EJV. WFOEs are expected by PRC to use the most modern technologies and to export at least 50% of their production, with all of the investment is to be wholly provided by the foreign investor and the enterprise

1638-604: Is described below. The EJV Law is between a Chinese partner and a foreign company. It is incorporated in both Chinese (official) and in English (with equal validity), with limited liability. Prior to China's entry into WTO – and thus the WFOEs – EJVs predominated. In the EJV mode, the partners share profits, losses, and risk in equal proportion to their respective contributions to the venture's registered capital. These escalate upwardly in

1729-470: Is done in parallel with other activities in forming a JV. Though dealt with briefly for a shareholders' agreement , some issues must be dealt with here as a preamble to the discussion that follows. There are also many issues which are not in the Articles when a company starts up or never ever present. Also, a JV may elect to stay as a JV alone in a "quasi partnership" to avoid any nonessential disclosure to

1820-559: Is investigating a way to partially reuse its launch vehicles with the Sensible Modular Autonomous Return Technology (SMART) system. This system envisions jettisoning the BE-4 engines and avionics as a single unit which would be protected by an inflatable heat shield during its descent back to Earth. After being slowed by parachutes and splashing down in the ocean, the heat shield would double as

1911-730: Is the same size as the Delta family's Common Booster Core , uses two BE-4 engines built by Blue Origin and fueled by liquid oxygen and liquid methane (liquefied natural gas). The second stage is the Centaur V , an improved version of the Centaur III used on the Atlas, which is powered by two RL10 engines built by Aerojet Rocketdyne , fueled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The first stage can be supplemented by up to six GEM 63XL solid rocket boosters built by Northrop Grumman . ULA

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2002-470: Is what will happen if the firm is dissolved, if one of the partners dies, or if the firm is sold. Often, the most successful JVs are those with 50:50 partnership with each party having the same number of directors but rotating control over the firm, or rights to appoint the Chairperson and Vice-chair of the company. Sometimes a party may give a separate trusted person to vote in its place proxy vote of

2093-515: Is within his total control. WFOEs are typically limited liability enterprises. Like with EJVs, but the liability of the directors, managers, advisers, and suppliers depends on the rules which govern the Departments or Ministries which control product liability, worker safety or environmental protection. An advantage the WFOE enjoys over its alternates is enhanced protection of its know-how but

2184-519: The Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 , Congress passed a law in 2016 that prohibited the military from procuring additional launch services on vehicles that use the RD-180 engine after 2022. To reduce costs, ULA undertook a significant restructuring to streamlining operations by eventually consolidating from five launchpads to two, and reducing its workforce from 3,600 to 2,500 by 2018. To develop

2275-457: The Centaur upper stage; it was the first three-burn mission for Atlas V. ULA's first commercial mission COSMO-SkyMed was launched on behalf of Italy's Ministry of Defense three months later using a Delta II rocket. On June 15, 2007, the engine in the Centaur upper stage of a ULA-launched Atlas V shut down early, leaving its payload – a pair of NROL-30 ocean surveillance satellites – in

2366-721: The Commercial Spaceflight Federation during this period. The introduction of lower-cost competition and rising ULA launch costs attracted scrutiny. ULA's reliance on government funding for launch readiness, including maintaining multiple launchpads and rocket variants, became a point of discussion, particularly as the EELV program experienced a cost breach in 2012. ULA was awarded a DoD contract in December 2013 to provide 36 rocket cores for up to 28 launches. The award drew protest from SpaceX , which said

2457-994: The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). The Delta IV rockets carried the NROL-26 , GOES 14 , and WGS-3 satellites. In 2010, Atlas V launches deployed the Solar Dynamics Observatory , the first Boeing X-37B , the first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite, and the NROL-41 . The Delta II system placed the last COSMO-SkyMed and Delta IV launches deployed the GOES 15 , GPS Block IIF , and USA-223 satellites. ULA completed eleven launches in 2011, including five by Atlas, three by Delta II, and three by Delta IV. The Atlas system orbited another Boeing X-37, two NROL-34 signals intelligence satellites,

2548-532: The Department of Defense (DoD) and NASA , but it also serves commercial clients. Boeing and Lockheed Martin announced on 2 May 2005 that they would establish a 50/50 joint venture , United Launch Alliance (ULA), to consolidate their space launch operations. The two companies had long competed for launch services contracts from the DoD, and their Atlas and Delta rockets were the two launch vehicles selected under

2639-553: The Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. The DoD had hoped the program would foster the creation of a strong, competitive commercial launch market. However, both companies said that this competition had made space launches unprofitable. Boeing's future in the program was also threatened in 2003 when it was found to be in possession of proprietary documents from Lockheed Martin. To end litigation and competition, both companies agreed to form

2730-621: The Independent Local Radio station BRMB in 1974. The station vacated the site in 1996 to new facilities at Brindleyplace , a few hundred yards from the former ATV studios on Broad Street. The office block remains although the converted cinema was demolished. Joint venture A joint venture ( JV ) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership , shared returns and risks , and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to access

2821-772: The Kepler and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer space telescopes. The Atlas launches carried the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and LCROSS mission as part of the Lunar Precursor Robotic Program , which was later intentionally crashed into the Moon and found the existence of water; other 2009 Atlas V launches in included Intelsat 14 , WGS-2 , PAN , and a weather satellite as part of

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2912-533: The Peregrine lunar lander into orbit toward the moon. This launch was intended to allow Astrobotic Technology to conduct five lunar experiments for NASA. ULA completed a second test flight, named Cert-2, of the Vulcan Centaur on the morning of October 4, 2024 at Cape Canaveral. The Space Force will examine the flight data to determine if Vulcan Centaur will be certified for national security missions. Developed by Lockheed Martin and transitioned to ULA in 2006,

3003-664: The Secretariat of Communications and Transportation . The classified NROL-55 satellite was launched by an Atlas V rocket several days later. Atlas V rockets launched GPS Block IIF satellites and the Cygnus cargo spacecraft in November 2015 and December 2015, respectively. In 2016, Delta IV rockets carried the NROL-45 satellite and Air Force Space Command 6 mission in February 2016 and August 2016, respectively. During

3094-614: The USA-195 (or WGS -1) communications satellite also occurred that year. ULA's tenth mission was launching satellite GPS IIR-17 into medium Earth orbit on a Delta II. The company completed its first Delta IV launch using the Delta IV Heavy rocket to place a payload into geosynchronous orbit in November 2007, which was followed by three more launches in December 2007. 2008 saw seven launches, including Atlas V's from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 3E and five others using

3185-486: The World Trade Organization (WTO) around 2001 has had profound effects on foreign investment. Not being a JV, they are considered here only in comparison or contrast. To implement WTO commitments, China publishes from time to time updated versions of its "Catalogs Investments" (affecting ventures) prohibited, restricted. The WFOE is a Chinese legal person and has to obey all Chinese laws. As such, it

3276-520: The rocket garden at Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex . Delta IV is a group of five expendable launch systems in the Delta rocket family , which was introduced in the early 2000s. The Delta IV was originally designed by Boeing's Defense, Space & Security division for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, and became a ULA product in 2006. The Delta IV was mostly used for launching United States Air Force military payloads but

3367-450: The "constitution" of a company in these countries. The articles of association regulate the interaction between shareholders and the directors of a company and can be a lengthy document of up to 700,000 or so pages. It deals with the powers relegated by the stockholders to the directors and those withheld by them, requiring the passing of ordinary resolutions , special resolutions and the holding of Extraordinary General Meetings to bring

3458-528: The Atlas V has been ULA's primary launch vehicle for over two decades. However, the rocket is currently nearing retirement, with all remaining flights booked and no new orders accepted. As of July 2024, Atlas V has completed 101 missions, with 15 launches scheduled. The rocket has been offered in eleven configurations , though only the "551" and "N22" remain operational. Born from the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program,

3549-812: The Atlas V's first successful launch took place in 2002. This expendable launch system utilizes a two-stage design. The first stage, named the Common Core Booster , uses a single Russian-made RD-180 engine, fueled by kerosene and liquid oxygen. The second stage, a Centaur III powered by the RL10 engine burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The first stage can be supplemented by up to five AJ-60A or GEM 63 solid rocket boosters. The Atlas V has undergone modifications for human spaceflight, specifically for Boeing's Starliner capsule. These modifications include upgraded computers for monitoring and abort capabilities, data links, and manual abort mechanisms for

3640-551: The Atlas V, which is built in Russia, and subject to international sanctions after the Russian invasion of Ukraine . The Vulcan Centaur has a maximum liftoff thrust of 3,800,000 pounds-force (17,000 kN), enabling it to carry 56,000 pounds (25,000 kg) to low Earth orbit , 33,000 lb (15,000 kg) to a geostationary transfer orbit , and 16,000 lb (7,300 kg) to geostationary orbit . The Vulcan first stage

3731-459: The DOC data, foreign joint ventures of U.S. companies realized a 5.5 percent average return on assets (ROA), while those companies' wholly owned and controlled affiliates (the vast majority of which are wholly owned) realized a slightly lower 5.2 percent ROA. The same story holds true for investments by foreign companies in the U.S., but the difference is more pronounced. U.S.-based joint ventures realized

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3822-605: The Delta II. The Atlas launch carried NROL-28 in March 2008 and in September 2008 the GeoEye-1 satellite was orbited by a Delta II rocket. ULA completed eight Delta II, five Atlas V, and three Delta IV launches in 2009. The Delta II launches carried three Space Tracking and Surveillance System satellites over two launches, two Global Positioning System satellites, and the NOAA-19 and WorldView-2 satellites, as well as

3913-640: The Founder at board meetings. Recently, in a major case the Indian Supreme Court has held that Memorandums of Understanding (whose details are not in the articles of association) are "unconstitutional" giving more transparency to undertakings. A JV is not a permanent structure. It can be dissolved when: Joint ventures are risky forms of business partnerships . Literature in business and management has paid attention to different factors of conflict and opportunism in joint ventures, in particular

4004-654: The GPS III Magellan project. An Atlas V carried Boeing's Starliner Orbital Flight Test (OFT) mission for NASA in December 2019. In 2020, an Atlas V carried the Solar Orbiter spacecraft, an international collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA to provide a new global view of the Sun. In March 2020, an Atlas V also launched Advanced Extremely High Frequency 6 (AEHF-6),

4095-621: The Intruder and Quasar satellites, and the Van Allen Probes . Delta IVs deployed GPS and WGS satellites USA-233 , as well as NROL-25 and NROL-15 on behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office. In 2013, the Atlas flew eight times. The system launched the TDRS-11 , Landsat 8 , AEHF-3 , and NROL-39 satellites, as well as SBIRS, GPS, and MUOS satellites, as well as NASA's MAVEN space probe to Mars. Delta IV launches orbited

4186-464: The JV's life, giving the option to the foreign investor, by holding higher equity, obtains a faster rate of return with the concurrent wish of the Chinese partner of a later larger role of maintaining long-term control. The parties in any of the ventures, EJV, CJV or WFOE prepare a feasibility study outlined above. It is a non-binding document – the parties are still free to choose not to proceed with

4277-549: The Paradise Centre (later known as ATV Centre ), a £15 million (equivalent to £329 million today) complex known as Alpha Tower off Broad Street . By early 1970 the Alpha Studios were closed with all employees being transferred to ATV (renamed as ATV Network), and Alpha Television Services (Birmingham) Limited went into voluntary liquidation and ceased trading. The site had a variety of uses until purchased by

4368-515: The U.S. Air Force. The U.S. Air Force's X-37B spaceplane was carried by an Atlas V rocket in May 2015, and a Delta IV orbited the WGS-7 satellite in July 2015. The fourth MUOS satellite was orbited by an Atlas V in September 2015. ULA's 100th consecutive successful liftoff was completed on 2 October 2015, when an Atlas V rocket orbited a Mexican Satellite System communications satellite on behalf of

4459-484: The ULA joint venture. During the renewal of the EELV contract, the DoD said the merger would provide annual cost savings of $ 100–150 million. SpaceX attempted to challenge the merger on anti-trust grounds, saying it would create a space launch monopoly. The Federal Trade Commission ultimately granted ULA anti-trust clearance, prioritizing national security access to space over potential competition concerns. Michael Gass

4550-536: The US) covering know-how and trademarks and supply-of-equipment agreements. The minimum equity is prescribed for investment truncated, where the foreign equity and debt levels are: There are also intermediary levels. The foreign investment in the total project must be at least 25%. No minimum investment is set for the Chinese partner. The timing of investments must be mentioned in the Agreement and failure to invest in

4641-461: The cases, the status of the formed enterprise is that of a legal Chinese person which can hire labor directly as, for example, a Chinese national contactor. The minimum of the capital is registered at various levels of investment. Other differences from the EJV are to be noted: Convenience and flexibility are the characteristics of this type of investment. It is therefore easier to find co-operative partners and to reach an agreement. With changes in

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4732-706: The corporate acronym, the costs of creating separate facilities in the Midlands led to a decision to cooperate. A separate holding company to operate the centre, Alpha Television Services (Birmingham) Limited, was formed. The new company purchased the former Astoria Cinema in Aston Road North which had closed a few months earlier. Initial alterations created one studio with production facilities supplied by an outside broadcast vehicle, telecine facilities and separate presentation suites for ATV and ABC. In 1963, ATV and ABC decided to upgrade facilities at Aston and

4823-469: The cost of ULA's launches were approximately US$ 460 million each and proposed a price of US$ 90 million to provide similar launches. In response, Gass said ULA's average launch price was US$ 225 million, with future launches as low as US$ 100 million. In a leadership change at ULA in August 2014, Tory Bruno assumed the CEO position, marking a new strategic direction for the company. Under Bruno's leadership, ULA

4914-408: The crew. Notably, Starliner missions use a unique Atlas V configuration: two solid rocket boosters, no payload fairing, and a dual-engine Centaur second stage for a shallower launch profile and reduced crew G-forces. This configuration stands 172 feet tall, and ULA was contracted for nine Starliner missions with Atlas V. The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) provides the second stage boost for

5005-622: The death of Mao Zedong in 1976, initiatives in foreign trade began to be applied, and law applicable to foreign direct investment was made clear in 1979, while the first Sino-foreign equity venture took place in 2001. The corpus of the law has improved since then. Companies with foreign partners can carry out manufacturing and sales operations in China and can sell through their own sales network. Foreign-Sino companies have export rights which are not available to wholly Chinese companies, as China desires to import foreign technology by encouraging JVs and

5096-400: The directors' decision to bear. A Certificate of Incorporation or the Articles of Incorporation is a document required to form a corporation in the U.S. (in actuality, the state where it is incorporated) and in countries following the practice. In the US, the "constitution" is a single document. The Articles of Incorporation is again a regulation of the directors by the stock-holders in

5187-447: The engines to continue building Atlas V as it developed a replacement rocket. At the time of the announcement they could fly 29 more missions and all of them had been sold, so no new orders would be accepted. ULA faces an uncertain future. In 2023, the company announced that it was for sale. In December 2023, it was announced that Jeff Bezos was looking at purchasing the company to merge it with Blue Origin, which he also owns. When

5278-578: The fifth and sixth Wideband Global SATCOM satellites WGS-5 and WGS-6 , as well as NROL-65 . In 2014, ULA's Atlas V orbited the TDRS-12 communications satellite in January, the WorldView-3 commercial satellite in August 2014, and the CLIO communications satellite during September and October 2014. Atlas rockets also carried the satellites DMSP-5D-3/F19, NROL-67, NROL-33, and NROL-35. Delta IV rockets orbited GPS satellites and two Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program satellites, and in July 2014, NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2

5369-527: The first U.S. Space Force National Security Mission. In May 2020, ULA launched an Atlas V rocket carrying the USSF-7 mission with the X-37B spaceplane for the U.S Space Force and the mission honored victims of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as first responders , health professionals , military personnel, and other essential workers . On 30 July 2020, Atlas V in the 541 configuration successfully launched Perseverance and Ingenuity as part of Mars 2020 towards Mars. In November 2020, ULA launched NROL-101,

5460-476: The flight than the center CBC. The 5 meter diameter composite fairing was standard on the Delta IV Heavy, with an aluminum isogrid fairing also available. The aluminum trisector (three-part) fairing was built by Boeing and derived from a Titan IV fairing. The trisector fairing was first used on the DSP-23 flight. Delta IV Heavy had 16 launches in its lifetime. Statistics are up-to-date as of 4 October 2024 . The first launch conducted by ULA

5551-424: The following major ways: In the UK , India , and in many common law countries, a joint-venture (or else a company formed by a group of individuals) must file its memorandum of association with the appropriate authority. This is a statutory document which informs the public of its existence. It may be viewed by the public at the office in which it is filed. Together with the articles of association , it forms

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5642-440: The formation of ULA. Delta II was part of the Delta rocket family and entered service in 1989. ULA flew thirty missions using Delta II starting in 2006. Delta II vehicles included the Delta 6000 and the two later Delta 7000 variants ("Light" and "Heavy"). The rocket flew its final mission ICESat-2 on 15 September 2018. A nearly-complete Delta II, made from flight-qualified spare parts, is displayed in its 7320-10 configuration in

5733-423: The government or the public. Some of the issues in a shareholders' agreement are: There are many features which have to be incorporated into the shareholders' agreement which is quite private to the parties as they start off. Normally, it requires noтуОЧ submission to any authority. The other basic document which must be articulated is the Articles, which is a published document and known to members. This repeats

5824-414: The hydrogen tank and are covered by the interstage during launch. Only three ICPS stages were ever built, one for each of the Artemis I , II , and III missions. Following these missions, the ICPS will be replaced by the Exploration Upper Stage built by Boeing. Delta II was an expendable launch system that was originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas , and was later built by Boeing prior to

5915-417: The indicated time, draws a penalty. Co-operative Joint Ventures (CJVs) are permitted under the Sino-Foreign Co-operative Joint Ventures. Co-operative enterprises are also called Contractual Operative Enterprises. The CJVs may have a limited structure or unlimited – therefore, there are two versions. The limited-liability version is similar to the EJVs in status of permissions – the foreign investor provides

6006-455: The influence of parent control structure, ownership change, and volatile environment. Government procurement regulations, such as the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) in the United States, may specify how joint ventures are to be approached as suppliers or confirm that a joint venture or other form of contractor partnering is seen as a "desirable" arrangement for supplying to government. The FAR states that The Government will recognize

6097-434: The initial configuration (Block 1) of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS). The ICPS design was based on the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage employed by ULA's Delta launch vehicles. The ICPS is positioned atop the SLS core stage and directly below the Orion spacecraft . The ICPS has a cylindrical liquid hydrogen tank, structurally designed to bear launch loads, while the liquid oxygen and single RL10B-2 engine are suspended from

6188-405: The integrity and validity of contractor team arrangements [including joint ventures], provided the arrangements are identified and company relationships are fully disclosed in an offer or, for arrangements entered into after submission of an offer, before the arrangement becomes effective. The Government will not normally require or encourage the dissolution of contractor team arrangements. Under

6279-558: The joint venture was founded in 2006, ULA inherited the Atlas rocket family from Lockheed Martin and the Delta rocket family from Boeing. As of 2024, the Delta family has been retired and the Atlas V is in the process of being retired. ULA began development of the Vulcan Centaur in 2014 as replacement for both the Atlas and Delta rocket families. The Vulcan Centaur is a heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by ULA integrating technology from both its prior Atlas and Delta rocket families along with advancements. Vulcan has been designed to meet

6370-402: The largest member of the Delta IV family. Boeing flew it on one mission prior to the formation of ULA, and ULA on fifteen missions from 2007 to 2024. Its final launch was April 9, 2024 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station . The Delta IV Heavy combined a 5 m (16 ft) diameter DCSS and payload fairing with two additional CBCs. These are strap-on boosters which are separated earlier in

6461-628: The latest technologies. Under Chinese law, foreign enterprises are divided into several basic categories. Of these, five will be described or mentioned here: three relate to industry and services and two as vehicles for foreign investment. Those five categories of Chinese foreign enterprises are: the Sino-Foreign Equity Joint Ventures (EJVs), Sino-Foreign Co-operative Joint Ventures (CJVs), Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprises (WFOE), although they do not strictly belong to Joint Ventures, plus foreign investment companies limited by shares (FICLBS), and Investment Companies through Foreign Investors (ICFI). Each category

6552-480: The law, it becomes possible to merge with a Chinese company for a quick start. A foreign investor does not need to set up a new corporation in China. Instead, the investor uses the Chinese partner's business license, under a contractual arrangement. However, under the CJV, the land stays in the possession of the Chinese partner. There is another advantage: the percentage of the CJV owned by each partner can change throughout

6643-402: The majority of funds and technology and the Chinese party provides land, buildings, equipment, etc. However, there are no minimum limits on the foreign partner which allows him to be a minority shareholder. The other format of the CJV is similar to a partnership where the parties jointly incur unlimited liability for the debts of the enterprise with no separate legal person being created. In both

6734-595: The process becoming Thames Television . As a result, ABC decided to sell their stake in Alpha Television to ATV as their interest in the Midlands had ended. However the Alpha studios were designed for monochrome broadcasting and as the ITV network was planning to launch colour transmissions in late 1969, ATV decided to construct new purpose-built colour studios in central Birmingham. In October 1968, work started on

6825-566: The production of rocket engines and solid rocket boosters . When founded, the company inherited the Atlas rocket family from Lockheed Martin and the Delta rocket family from Boeing. As of 2024, the Delta family has been retired and the Atlas V is in the process of being retired. ULA began development of the Vulcan Centaur in 2014 as replacement for both the Atlas and Delta rocket families. The Vulcan Centaur completed its maiden flight in January 2024. The primary customers of ULA are

6916-474: The project. The feasibility study must cover the fundamental technical and commercial aspects of the project, before the parties can proceed to formalize the necessary legal documentation. The study should contain details referred to earlier under Feasibility Study (submissions by the Chinese partner). There is basic law of the PRC concerning enterprises with sole foreign investment controls, WFOEs. China's entry into

7007-551: The regulatory body for ITV, the Independent Television Authority , announced significant changes to the regional contracts to broadcast ITV. ABC Weekend Television lost its Midlands weekend contract as the authority decided to create a seven-day licence for the area, which they awarded to ATV. ABC were offered the London weekday contract upon condition of a merger with the existing holder Rediffusion , in

7098-511: The remaining cost of development, estimated at 75% of the cost, as of March 2018. The NSSL program purchased a prototype Vulcan launch in October 2018, and was awarded a contract in August 2020 to launch 60% of NSSL missions over a 5-year period beginning in 2024. The Vulcan Centaur was originally slated to conduct its maiden flight in 2019, however was delayed repeatedly. The inaugural flight occurred on January 8, 2024, successfully sending

7189-521: The requirements of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program and be capable of achieving human-rating certification to allow the launch of a vehicle such as the Boeing Starliner or Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser . The rocket was developed as ULA faced pressure to respond to growing competition from SpaceX and its reusable rockets and the need to phase out the RD-180 engine used on

7280-549: The rules applicable to public procurement in the European Union , public bodies may insist that suppliers intending to provide goods and services through a joint partnership accept joint liability for the execution of the contract. According to a 2003 report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development , China was the recipient of US$ 53.5 billion in direct foreign investment, making it

7371-440: The same proportion as the increase in registered capital. The JV contract accompanied by the articles of association for the EJV are the two most fundamental legal documents of the project. The Articles mirror many of the provisions of the JV contract. In case of conflict the JV document has precedence. These documents are prepared at the same time as the feasibility report. There are also the ancillary documents (termed "offsets" in

7462-435: The shareholders agreement as to the number of directors each founder can appoint to the board of directors; whether the board controls or the founders; the taking of decisions by simple majority (50%+1) of those present or a 51% or 75% majority with all directors present (their alternates/ proxy ); the deployment of funds of the firm; extent of debt; the proportion of profit that can be declared as dividends; etc. Also significant

7553-473: The shareholders, including debt, is equal to the number of shares purchased by each partner. United Launch Alliance United Launch Alliance, LLC ( ULA ) is an American launch service provider formed in December 2006 as a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security . The company designs, assembles, sells and launches rockets, but the company subcontracts out

7644-474: The world's largest recipient of direct foreign investment for the first time, to exceed the US. Also, it approved the establishment of nearly 500,000 foreign-investment enterprises. The US had 45,000 projects by 2004 with an in-place investment of over 48 billion. Until recently, no guidelines existed on how foreign investment was to be handled due to the restrictive nature of China toward foreign investors. Following

7735-685: Was a Delta II from Vandenberg Space Force Base on 14 December 2006, carrying the satellite USA-193 for the National Reconnaissance Office . The satellite failed shortly after launch and was intentionally destroyed on 21 February 2008, by an SM-3 missile that was fired from the Ticonderoga -class cruiser USS  Lake Erie . ULA's first Atlas V launch was in March 2007; it was an Atlas V variant 401 launching six military research satellites for Space Test Program (STP) 1. This mission also performed three burns of

7826-453: Was also used to launch a number of U.S. government non-military payloads and one commercial satellite. Delta IV had two main versions, which allowed the family to accommodate a range of payload sizes and masses; models includes Medium, which had four configurations, and the Heavy . Payloads that would previously fly on Medium moved to either Atlas V or Vulcan Centaur . Delta IV Heavy was

7917-618: Was announced as the first CEO of ULA and oversaw the merger of the two groups. Production was consolidated into one central plant in Decatur, Alabama while all engineering was moved into a facility in Littleton, Colorado . The parent companies retained responsibility for marketing and sales of the Delta and Atlas rockets. Cost pressures led ULA to announce it would lay off 350 of its 4,200 workers in early 2009, and decommissioned two of its seven launch pads . ULA also joined and later left

8008-466: Was carried by a Delta II. Orion 's first test flight was launched by a Delta IV Heavy rocket in December 2014, as part of Exploration Flight Test-1 . A Delta II rocket orbited a Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite in January 2015. In March 2015, an Atlas V rocket carried NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission spacecraft, and a Delta IV rocket orbited the GPS IIF-9 satellite on behalf of

8099-604: Was carried in November 2016, as was the WorldView-4 imaging satellite. In December 2016, the Wideband Global SATCOM's eighth satellite WGS-8 was launched on a Delta IV Medium rocket, and an Atlas V carried the EchoStar XIX communications satellite on behalf of Hughes Communications . In March 2017, WGS-9 was orbited by a Delta IV. Atlas V rockets carried NRO satellites, TDRS-M , and

8190-507: Was to visit and study the Sun 's outer corona in August 2018. It was also the Delta IV Heavy with a Star-48BV kick stage, and the highest-ever spacecraft velocity. The company launched the final Delta II rocket, carrying ICESat-2 from Vandenberg Air Force Base SLC-2 on 15 September 2018. This marks the last launch of a Delta family rocket based on the original Thor IRBM . On 22 August 2019, ULA launched its last Delta IV Medium rocket for

8281-408: Was under pressure to reduce costs to better compete with SpaceX and its partially reusable rockets, replace its Russian-made RD-180 with more efficient western-made engines, and introduce a next-generation launch vehicle. The company's high cost to launch left the company with few commercial and civil satellite launch customers, and increasingly reliant on U.S. military and spy agency contracts. After

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