Saft wins multi-million dollar contract from United Launch Alliance for lithium-ion batteries

Saft will supply two different Li-ion batteries to ULA, both customized to meet their launch vehicles’ high electrical power load requirements with minimal weight. The Flight Termination System (FTS) batteries will be made of Saft’s VLV high power Li-ion technology. The FTS battery provides power for flight termination if needed. The second type of batteries will be used as booster and pyro power allowing flexibility for use in the launch vehicle and utilizes Saft’s VLP power Li-ion technology.

“This program expands Saft’s portfolio of supplying Li-ion batteries to space applications and introduces Li-ion technology onto a U.S. launcher platform, which is also a first for ULA,” said Thomas Alcide, general manager of Saft’s Specialty Battery Group. “We’re happy ULA selected Saft to develop advanced Li-ion technology for its upgraded launch vehicles.” “ULA chose Saft as the supplier of advanced Li-ion batteries for our Delta and Atlas launch vehicles because of Saft’s mature and robust cell design, innovative battery design and extensive experience in producing batteries for high reliability applications. We look forward to working with Saft in the future as these batteries are designed, qualified, and eventually approved for flight,” said Kevin Sinclair, ULA Avionics Manager.

Annie Sennet-Cassity, Saft’s Director of Space & Defense Sales stated “ULA has been a key customer pursuit of Saft’s for many years now; Saft’s technology is the right fit for this customer and this application.” Since its debut in August 2002, the Atlas V family has achieved 100 percent mission success for the U.S. Air Force (USAF), National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), NASA and commercial customers with launches. The Atlas program has logged more than 600 launches to date, beginning in the early days of America’s manned spaceflight to the recent return to the moon. Delta IV was developed in partnership with the USAF’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program to launch high-priority USAF, NSO, NASA and commercial payloads to orbit.

The Delta family has launched some of America’s most famous and successful missions, such as NASA’s Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Formed in 2006, United Launch Alliance is a 50-50 joint venture owned by Lockheed Martin and The Boeing Company. ULA brings together two of the launch industry’s most experienced and successful teams – Atlas and Delta – to provide reliable, cost-efficient space launch services for the U.S. government.