Deal or no deal?

Is United Launch Alliance going to happen or not?

It's hard to say, given the ping-ponging accounts coming out as the federal government's lingering review of the Boeing-Lockheed Martin rocket merger reportedly nears closure.

Just a couple days ago, Reuters reported that approval is imminent for a deal that would see the two aerospace giants banding together to market Boeing's Delta 4 and Lockheed's Atlas 5 rockets in an arrangement similar to prime shuttle contractor United Space Alliance.

Today, The Washington Post and Reuters are casting some doubt. Reuters points to Lockheed Martin executive comments during a quarterly earnings conference call. Asked about the status of the deal, Lockheed officials departed from what has long been enthusiastic commitment to the deal and said only that its board of directors would take up the issue at a meeting on Thursday.

We're trying to get clarification from Lockheed and Boeing on the companies' commitment to the deal. But a year after it was announced, it seems we've come to the point where the host needs to ask all of the parties involved a simple question: "Deal or no deal?"

10:30 a.m. update: Boeing's Dan Beck just provided the following written statement. "Boeing is still committed to the United Launch Alliance as the right path for lower cost, reliable assured access to space. We have provided the government with the information they need to complete their review of this complex tranaction and we are awaiting final government approvals."

2:30 p.m. update: Lockheed Martin's Jeff Adams says the company's board will get a briefing on the status of the joint venture. He said that, because of the length of time that has passed since the joint venture was proposed, "we feel it's appropriate for the board to review and discuss the issues." The issues to be discussed, Adams said, include the impact of the lingering uncertainty about the joint venture on Lockheed's "launch tempo, safety, workforce morale and the business case for the joint venture." He would not elaborate on the last item, but it would indicate that Lockheed is reviewing whether joining forces with Boeing makes financial sense any more.