UPDATE 1-Boeing-Lockheed venture wins $505 million rocket deal

(Recasts with further detail from joint venture)

WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - A joint venture formed by Boeing Co (BA.N) and Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) won a $505 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to provide rocket launch services for three National Reconnaissance Office satellites, the venture company said on Wednesday.

In its daily digest of defense contracts, the Pentagon had said the contract went to Boeing, which developed its Delta IV heavy and medium launch vehicles under the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program.

Boeing and Lockheed, which developed the Atlas V, merged their government rocket launch operations into the United Launch Alliance joint venture in December 2006.

Julie Andrews, a spokeswoman for the venture said the work would in fact be done by the venture. She said some contractual paperwork still carried the name of the original rocket provider, in this case, Boeing.

"All of that work clearly now resides in United Launch Alliance," she said.

Neither Andrews nor a spokesman for the National Reconnaissance Office had any details on when the three rocket launches would be scheduled. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)