ULA Atlas 5
An Atlas 5 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, carrying NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission.

In theory, the consortium would use Aerojet’s AR-1 engine to replace the Russian-made RD-180 on the Atlas 5. But ULA says it has “no intention of selling or transferring” the rights.

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Mike Gruss is the chief content and strategy officer at SpaceNews. From 2013 to 2016 he was a senior reporter at SpaceNews covering military space. Previously, he was editor in chief of Sightline Media Group and worked as a reporter and columnist for...