Bezos’ Blue Origin Sues NASA Over Lunar Lander Contract

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has filed a complaint in federal court
against NASA over the agency’s decision to award SpaceX a contract
to build a spacecraft that will carry astronauts to the Moon’s
surface as part of the Artemis program.

The complaint is a continuation of Blue Origin’s campaign
against NASA’s awarding of the $2.89 billion contract to SpaceX,
which Bezos’ company disputed with the U.S. Government
Accountability Office (GAO) earlier this year.

The GAO later denied Blue Origin’s protest and upheld NASA’s
decision, saying “SpaceX submitted the lowest-priced proposal with
the highest rating.”

“Blue Origin filed suit in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in
an attempt to remedy the flaws in the acquisition process found in
NASA’s Human Landing System,” the company said in a statement
Monday.

“We firmly believe that the issues identified in this
procurement and its outcomes must be addressed to restore fairness,
create competition, and ensure a safe return to the Moon for
America,” it added.

Our thought bubble, via Axios’ Miriam Kramer: It’s not clear
what will come from Blue Origin’s all-out effort to get a contract
from NASA to land the agency’s astronauts on the surface of the
Moon.

Along with the unsuccessful GAO protest, Bezos also offered to
foot the bill for a major part of their lander’s development.

This most recent escalation could also delay SpaceX’s contract
further, as the suit is being resolved, potentially delaying NASA’s
lunar plans.

NASA ordered SpaceX to pause its work on the lunar lander after
Blue Origin disputed the contract with the GAO.

Blue Origin recently completed its first human flight using its
suborbital system last month.

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has filed a complaint in federal court
against NASA over the agency’s decision to award SpaceX a contract
to build a spacecraft that will carry astronauts to the Moon’s
surface as part of the Artemis program.

The complaint is a continuation of Blue Origin’s campaign
against NASA’s awarding of the $2.89 billion contract to SpaceX,
which Bezos’ company disputed with the U.S. Government
Accountability Office (GAO) earlier this year.

The GAO later denied Blue Origin’s protest and upheld NASA’s
decision, saying “SpaceX submitted the lowest-priced proposal with
the highest rating.”

“Blue Origin filed suit in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in
an attempt to remedy the flaws in the acquisition process found in
NASA’s Human Landing System,” the company said in a statement
Monday.

“We firmly believe that the issues identified in this
procurement and its outcomes must be addressed to restore fairness,
create competition, and ensure a safe return to the Moon for
America,” it added.

Our thought bubble, via Axios’ Miriam Kramer: It’s not clear
what will come from Blue Origin’s all-out effort to get a contract
from NASA to land the agency’s astronauts on the surface of the
Moon.

Along with the unsuccessful GAO protest, Bezos also offered to
foot the bill for a major part of their lander’s development.

This most recent escalation could also delay SpaceX’s contract
further, as the suit is being resolved, potentially delaying NASA’s
lunar plans.

NASA ordered SpaceX to pause its work on the lunar lander after
Blue Origin disputed the contract with the GAO.

Blue Origin recently completed its first human flight using its
suborbital system last month.