McDonnell Douglas Sues to Keep Prices Secret

McDonnell Douglas Corp. has filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington to keep the National Aeronautics and Space Administration from revealing sensitive pricing information about the company’s Delta launch vehicle, which is built in Huntington Beach. Although the government typically releases overall contract prices, McDonnell Douglas wants to stop NASA officials from revealing the price for each mission under a $500-million contract to launch medium-weight satellites. The company’s lawyer, Jerald S. Howe Jr., said revealing the prices would allow competitors to calculate McDonnell Douglas’ cost structure. That information would be valuable for bids on other projects, Howe said.