The Pentagon has authorized competitive bidding for the main component of the rockets that send satellites into space. According to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, aerospace giants Lockheed Martin and Boeing currently hold a monopoly on the contracts through their joint venture United Launch Alliance. The decision by the Pentagon opens up opportunities for companies such as Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) and Orbital Sciences Corp.
| House | Senate | Grand Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin | $1,803,500 | $333,500 | $2,137,000 |
| Boeing | $1,629,500 | $275,500 | $1,905,000 |
| Orbital Sciences Corp. | $96,500 | $58,500 | $155,000 |
| Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) | $70,381 | $23,500 | $93,881 |
| Grand Total | $3,599,881 | $691,000 | $4,290,881 |
Methodology: MapLight analysis of campaign contributions to federal candidates from Jan. 1, 2011-Nov. 17, 2012 from PACs controlled by Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Orbital Sciences Corp., and SpaceX. Source: FEC.gov, as of Dec. 2, 2012. If you use MapLight data please cite accordingly.
Photo credit: Songquan Deng/Shutterstock.com
