Abstract
The successful 20 November 2002 launch of Boeing's Delta IV satellite launch vehicle owes much to the US government's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) programme, which is designed to establish an affordable means of securing access to space. Launchers built under the EELV programme will be used to introduce a new generation of US surveillance and reconnaissance satellites, which are seen as complementary to the unmanned aerial vehicle platforms recently lauded after their performance in the 'war on terror'. However, the production of new reconnaissance satellites, and their launch vehicles, has been subject to funding-related problems that could complicate their introduction into service.
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