Atlas 5

The United Launch Alliance is confident it can upgrade its Atlas 5 rocket to man-rated status in time to be operational and carrying astronauts to orbit by 2015, two years ahead of NASA's schedule.

The Atlas 5 will be the launcher of choice for the new manned spacecraft being developed by Boeing, the Sierra Nevada Corporation, and Blue Origin, though Blue Origin is also working on its own launcher. Of course, designing an upgrade so the Atlas 5 is compatible with three different manned vehicles is quite an engineering challenge, but ULA is comfortable it can do the job.

Since its first flight in 2002, the Atlas 5 has 28 successful launches without a failure, so its fundamental reliability is fairly well established. Man-rating it will require more powerful upper stage, but ULA already has that rocket in its stable. NASA and the American aerospace industry are eager to bring private sector vehicles online to end the monopoly in manned spaceflight currently enjoyed by the Russian Soyuz.