[Satellite TODAY 11-30-10] United Launch Alliance (ULA) has selected Saft to develop lithium-ion batteries for its Atlas 5 and Delta 4 launch vehicles under a multi-million dollar contract, Saft announced Nov. 29. 
    Saft will supply two different batteries to the ULA, both customized to meet high electrical power load requirements with minimal weight. Saft’s flight termination system batteries will provide power to abort a mission, if needed. The second type of batteries will be used to power boosters and pyros, allowing flexibility for use in the launch vehicles.
    According to ULA, the Saft batteries are some of the first batteries the company has incorporated into its launch vehicles and will replace batteries currently in use.