Blue Origin sues NASA for awarding the contract for a SpaceX mission to the moon
Posted:
17 before 2021 00:20 GMT
The lawsuit could lead to another gap in the SpaceX contract and another delay in NASA’s race to get astronauts to the moon by 2024, according to the media.
Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin space transportation company has taken its legal battle against NASA to federal court, repeating allegations that the agency misevaluated its proposal to build a vehicle to take astronauts to the moon.
Blue Origin has been one of three companies vying for a contract to bring astronauts to Earth’s moon since 1972. In April, the space agency halted the company’s proposal for $5.9 billion from its blue moon landing system and instead chose the $2.9 billion spacecraft proposed by SpaceX. The contract includes two lunar landings, including one unmanned and one manned test flight, and according to federal data, SpaceX has already received $439 million from NASA to get it started.
Jeff Bezos’ company filed a lawsuit in the US Court of Federal Claims on Monday against the US space agency in connection with the award of a contract to develop a lunar lander to SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, according to reports. the edge.
According to the director, Blue Origin claims that NASA incorrectly evaluated its proposal to build the module. The portal’s sources stated that the company informed the judge that it would seek to stop the implementation of the contract until the case is considered.
In this way, the challenge for Bezos could lead to another gap in the SpaceX contract and a new lengthy delay in NASA’s race to get astronauts to the Moon by 2024, the outlet notes.
Jeff Bezos’ protest rejected
In July, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), I finish NASA’s decision to award a contract to SpaceX to develop the spacecraft that will carry its astronauts to the Moon as part of the Artemis program is not inconsistent with US law.
The value of the agreement amounted to 2,941 million dollars coordinator In April only with Musk because “Bids from Blue Origin and Dynetics are priced much higherAnd the space agency “lacked the funds to award more than one award,” Indian This body in a statement.
Artemis program that aims to construction Permanent human presence on both the surface and in lunar orbit was launched during Donald Trump’s tenure. Astronauts were expected to return to the lunar surface in 2024, but the Biden administration says the date is under review.