Blue Origin, led by Jeff Bezos, has sued the US government over NASA’s decision to grant Elon Musk’s SpaceX a $2.9 billion lunar lander contract. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin sues NASA over Moon lander contract.
Blue Origin’s action, which was filed in the United States Court of Federal Claims on Friday, is a “effort to correct the deficiencies in the procurement process revealed in NASA’s Human Landing System,” according to the company. “The shortcomings uncovered in this procurement and its outcomes must be rectified to restore justice, establish competition, and secure a safe return to the Moon for America,” the statement continued.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) rejected Blue Origin’s objection last month, siding with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in its choice to choose a single lunar lander supplier.
The lawsuit filed by Blue Origin is still under seal. NASA has until Oct. 12 to respond to the challenge.
The agency said in a statement that “NASA personnel are presently evaluating details of the issue.” “We will go to the Moon with our partners and stay to enable science research, develop new technology, and generate high-paying employment for the public good, as well as in preparation to send astronauts to Mars,” says the statement. “As soon as possible, the agency will offer an update on the path forward for returning to the Moon as fast and securely as possible under Artemis,” the agency noted.
NASA was forced to issue numerous grants, according to Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics. “The protest allegations that NASA behaved illegally in making a single award to SpaceX were denied,” the GAO said.
Blue Origin, the rocket business owned by Amazon.com Inc’s founder, billionaire Jeff Bezos, had stated that it remained confident that NASA’s decision had “fundamental flaws” that the GAO was unable to rectify “due to their restricted jurisdiction.” Blue Origin stated that it will continue to push for two instant suppliers because it believes this is the best answer.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Under NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send humans to the moon for the first time since 1972, the agency requested designs for a spacecraft that would transport astronauts to the lunar surface.
NASA awarded SpaceX a contract in April to build such a spacecraft by 2024.
NASA, according to Blue Origin, gave SpaceX an unfair edge by allowing it to alter its pricing.
If Blue Origin is given a lunar landing contract, Bezos has promised to reimburse up to $2 billion in NASA expenditures.
Source: Reuters