Старый, хотелось бы разобраться.
Насколько сильно, по Вашему мнению, на программу влияли:
1. Отказ от запуска ПН на шаттле.
2. Кризис с гос. финансированием при Клинтоне.
3. Желание конкурирвать с Арианспейс.
ЦитироватьThe goal of EELV is to reduce overall cost of launch, while maintaining current ELV capability, reliability and operability. The Air Force anticipates crew-rated missions for some boosters in the family, and it is anticipated that NASA would probably purchase some vehicles.
ЦитироватьEELV will launch all US government payloads weighing more than 2177 kg (the maximum polar orbit performance of the Titan 2). EELV will not cover launchers with payloads below the existing Delta range, as this market segment is currently regarded as highly competitive. However, the NASA "MedLite" booster overlaps the lower end of the EELV performance range. And EELV is not intended to be an MLV with a heavy option, as the primary goal is to lower Titan 4 costs. The major cost savings are anticipated to come from increased production rate from a single source. An overall production rate of 17 to 20 vehicles per year is anticipated. Launch costs are expected to drop by about 50%, with substantial reductions in employment in the launch system infrastructure. Design concepts will cover the entire system, not just the launch vehicle, including changes in facility and range interaction.
Я не увидел здесь недовольства грузоподъемностью существовавших ракет. Стоимость и время подготовки к пуску - да. Темп пусков, скорее тоже да.
http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/launch/eelv.htm