Accuses Blue Origin, ULA Of 'Blocking Tactics'

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is none too happy with commercial space competitors Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance. The space entrepreneur accused the two companies of using a "phony blocking tactic" to prevent his company from acquiring the exclusive rights to launch complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Space News reports that Musk (pictured) had proposed an exclusive deal for SpaceX at the now-surplus launch facility. He appeared to change that stance, at least somewhat, after Blue Origin filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office that prevented NASA from granting a lease until the dispute is dealt with. The GAO must rule on the dispute by December 12.

NASA had hoped to lease the facility by October 1, the start of the new fiscal year, to relieve its self of the $1.2 million in annual maintenance costs.

In an e-mail exchange with Space News, Musk seemed to somewhat backhandedly ease his stance on the exclusive use of the launch complex, saying that if Blue Origin were to come up with a viable spacecraft able to fly to ISS or launch humans into space in the next five years, "which is what Pad 39A is meant to do, we will gladly accommodate their needs."

United Launch Alliance has been sharing "technical expertise in launch infrastructure" with Blue Origin, and said it would continue to do so to help Blue Origin manage pad 39A with a "multi-user capability, for which ULA would be one of the users."

Musk interprets ULA's backing of Blue Origin as being tied to a launch competition between the two companies. He said there is "no doubt" about ULA's motivation for support of Blue Origin.

FMI: www.spacex.com, www.blueorigin.com, www.ulalaunch.com