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

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has formally misplaced its lawsuit in opposition to NASA over the company’s choice to award SpaceX a $2.9 billion lunar lander contract. The ruling will probably scale back additional delays that threatened to stop NASA from reaching its objective of returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024 (a deadline that the company already appears more likely to miss).

In a one-page ruling, Court of Federal Claims Judge Richard A. Hertling granted the federal authorities’s movement to dismiss the case and gave Blue Origin and the federal government till November 18 to redact the total opinion earlier than it will get launched to the general public.

In an announcement despatched to Gizmodo, a Blue Origin spokesperson stated the go well with “highlighted the important safety issues with the Human Landing System procurement process that must still be addressed.”

“Blue Origin remains deeply committed to the success of the Artemis program, and we have a broad base of activity on multiple contracts with NASA to achieve the United States’ goal to return to the Moon to stay,” the spokesperson stated. “We are fully engaged with NASA to mature sustainable lander designs, conduct a wide variety of technology risk reductions, and provide Commercial Lunar Payload Services. We are also under contract with NASA to develop in-situ resource utilization technology, lunar space robotics, and lunar landing sensor collaboration including testing on New Shepard. We look forward to hearing from NASA on next steps in the HLS procurement process.”

Company founder Jeff Bezos, in the meantime, struck a somber tone on Twitter. “Not the decision we wanted, but we respect the court’s judgment, and wish full success for NASA and SpaceX on the contract,” Bezos wrote.

The ruling marks the top of a tedious course of relationship again to April, when Blue Origin, alongside Dynetics, filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office claiming the bidding course of for NASA’s contract was unfair. After that effort failed, Blue Origin moved on to file its go well with in opposition to NASA, regardless of Bezos beforehand claiming that such lawsuits had been hindering house exploration.

Following the ruling, NASA launched a statement right now saying it’ll resume its work with SpaceX instantly and acknowledged future alternatives for firms (possibly even Blue Origin) to companion with them.

“In addition to this contract, NASA continues working with multiple American companies to bolster competition and commercial readiness for crewed transportation to the lunar surface,” NASA wrote. “There will be forthcoming opportunities for companies to partner with NASA in establishing a long-term human presence at the Moon under the agency’s Artemis program, including a call in 2022 to U.S. industry for recurring crewed lunar landing services.”