Blue Origin vs. NASA: Bezos' Company Challenges SpaceX Award

Blue Origin Challenges NASA’s Contract Award to SpaceX

Blue Origin, the aerospace firm founded by Jeff Bezos, has initiated legal action against NASA. The company lodged a formal complaint with a federal claims court on Monday, contesting the agency’s decision to grant a lunar lander contract exclusively to its competitor, SpaceX.

Complaint Details and Company Response

The submitted complaint, which Blue Origin successfully requested be sealed from public view, asserts that NASA’s assessment of proposals for the Human Landing System was both “unlawful and improper.”

A spokesperson for Blue Origin communicated to TechCrunch that the lawsuit aims to “remedy the flaws in the acquisition process” within NASA’s Human Landing System. They believe addressing these issues is crucial for restoring fairness and fostering competition, ultimately ensuring a secure return to the moon for the United States.

The Artemis Program and the Human Landing System

The Human Landing System is a vital component of NASA’s upcoming Artemis program. It represents the spacecraft designed to transport astronauts back to the lunar surface, marking the first crewed landing since the Apollo missions.

NASA’s current objective is to have the human lander operational and touching down near the lunar south pole by the year 2024.

Previous Protests and GAO Ruling

In April, NASA designated SpaceX as the sole recipient of the HLS contract, awarding them a bid valued at $2.9 billion. The agency’s choice to select only one company, instead of multiple contenders, was unexpected.

Shortly after the announcement, both Blue Origin and Dynetics, another defense contractor that submitted a bid, filed separate protests with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) regarding the decision.

The GAO subsequently supported NASA’s decision, affirming that the contract announcement explicitly reserved the agency’s right to make multiple awards, a single award, or no award at all.

Escalation to Federal Court

Following the GAO’s ruling, it appeared the matter was settled, with SpaceX emerging as the victor. However, this new lawsuit filed with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims demonstrates Blue Origin’s firm resolve to continue challenging the outcome.

NASA’s Response and Social Media Campaign

A NASA spokesperson offered a limited statement to TechCrunch, confirming the agency had been notified of the complaint and that officials are currently reviewing the details of the case.

Alongside the legal challenge, Blue Origin has launched a parallel campaign on social media. This involves the release of a series of infographics intended to cast doubt on the capabilities of SpaceX’s Starship and the rationale behind NASA’s selection of it for lunar missions.

These infographics feature critical assessments of Starship, highlighting its “IMMENSELY COMPLEX & HIGH RISK” nature and emphasizing that it is “a launch vehicle that has never flown to orbit and is still being designed.”

Case Information

The case has been assigned the number 1:21-cv-01695-RAH. TechCrunch has contacted NASA for further comment and will provide updates as they become available.

This legal battle signifies a significant escalation in the competition to secure a prominent role in the future of lunar exploration.