Blue Origin Loses NASA Lawsuit Over Lunar Lander Contract That Went to SpaceX

Jeff Bezos ’ Blue Origin has formally lost its suit against NASA over the authority ’s decision to present SpaceX a $ 2.9 billion lunar lander contract . The ruling will in all likelihood come down furtherdelaysthat threaten to forbid NASA from achieving itsgoalof returning cosmonaut to the Moon by 2024 ( a deadline that the agency already seemslikely to miss ) .

In a one - pageruling , Court of Federal Claims Judge Richard A. Hertling granted the federal governing ’s movement to push aside the case and gave Blue Origin and the government until November 18 to edit the full public opinion before it gets released to the public .

In a statement sent to Gizmodo , a Blue Origin spokesperson said the suit “ highlighted the important safety issues with the Human Landing System procurement process that must still be accost . ”

Photo: Saul Loeb (Getty Images)

“ Blue Origin remains deeply attached to the success of the Artemis program , and we have a broad base of activity on multiple declaration with NASA to reach the United States ’ goal to come back to the Moon to stay , ” the spokesperson say . “ We are amply engage with NASA to maturate sustainable lander designs , conduct a across-the-board variety of technology risk simplification , and put up Commercial Lunar Payload Services . We are also under contract with NASA to acquire in - situ resource utilization applied science , lunar place robotics , and lunar landing place detector quislingism including testing on New Shepard . We look forward to hear from NASA on next steps in the HLS procurement process . ”

Company founder Jeff Bezos , meanwhile , strike a somber tone on Twitter . “ Not the decisiveness we want , but we respect the tribunal ’s judgment , and like full achiever for NASA and SpaceX on the contract bridge , ” Bezos write .

Not the decision we require , but we respect the court ’s judgement , and like full success for NASA and SpaceX on the contract.pic.twitter.com/BeXc4A8YaW

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— Jeff Bezos ( @JeffBezos)November 4 , 2021

The ruling marks the end of a tedious process date back to April , when Blue Origin , alongside Dynetics , filed aprotestwith the Government Accountability Office claim the summons process for NASA ’s contract was unjust . After that effort failed , Blue Origin move on to file its suit against NASA , despite Bezos previouslyclaimingthat such case were blockade space exploration .

“ In addition to this declaration , NASA continues working with multiple American party to bolster competition and commercial-grade forwardness for crewed expatriation to the lunar Earth’s surface , ” NASA write . “ There will be coming opportunity for companies to partner with NASA in establishing a long - term human bearing at the Moon under the agency ’s Artemis course of study , including a call in 2022 to U.S. industry for recurring crew lunar landing services . ”

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