United Launch Alliance, or ULA, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE:LMT) and Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA), once dismissed Elon Musk and SpaceX's approach to reusable rockets: now, SpaceX has vindicated its approach with its recent progress.
ULA's SMART Approach
ULA, when SpaceX's reusable rocket technology, which follows the principle of supersonic retropropulsion, was still in its preliminary testing phase a decade ago, released documents demonstrating that its SMART or Sensible Modular Autonomous Return Technology was superior, Arstechnica reported on Thursday.
The SMART technology involved separating the engine section of its Vulcan rocket, instead of SpaceX's approach, which involves separating the entire booster stage to be reused when the rocket is traveling at hypersonic speeds.
SpaceX's Success Since Then
While a decade has passed since then, SpaceX has made considerable progress in the commercial space travel industry and is now the leader in the sector. The company's Falcon 9 rocket has since been launched and landed over 30 times.
However, the company also recently conducted the tenth successful launch test of its Starship rocket, after consecutive failures and delays. Starship is SpaceX's flagship space vehicle.
The Starship rocket, which plays a crucial role in Musk's Mars ambitions, is also the most powerful and largest rocket ever built. Musk also recently shared updates regarding the prospects of the rocket in the coming years.
SpaceX was also reportedly a frontrunner in President Donald Trump's Golden Dome missile defense system, but it was curiously left out of a briefing by the Pentagon to over 3,000 defense contractors in Alabama.
Starlink Adds More To SpaceX's Success
SpaceX has also expanded into the satellite-based internet sector with its Starlink, which boasts a constellation of more than 8,000 LEO or low-Earth Orbit satellites and serves over 7 million customers worldwide.
Starlink recently was awarded over $119 million in federal funding by the Montana government to provide better internet connectivity in over 20,000 locations within the state.
ULA Has Made Progress As Well
ULA, too, has made progress in its pursuit to dominate commercial space travel. Recently, the company successfully launched the Vulcan rocket as part of the U.S. Space Force's Systems Command. The Vulcan rocket, which rivals SpaceX's Falcon 9, was also recently cleared for use during U.S. Security Missions.
Elon Musk Has The Last Laugh?
Musk recently took to the social media platform X on Thursday following the report by Arstechnica to express his views on the subject. "How time flies," Musk said in the post in what was seemingly a sarcastic jibe at ULA.
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