Litigation On Blue Origin Suit MAY Conclude November 1

NASA halted work on a $2.9 billion lunar lander contract with SpaceX after Blue Origin sued the government agency -- again.

The suit was filed in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims last week and according to Blue Origin, was "an attempt to remedy the flaws in the acquisition process found in NASA's Human Landing System." A US judge has set an Oct. 14 hearing for this case.

"In exchange for this temporary stay of work, all parties agreed to an expedited litigation schedule that concludes on Nov. 1," NASA said. "NASA officials are continuing to work with the Department of Justice to review the details of the case and look forward to a timely resolution of this matter."

Mid-April, NASA announced SpaceX as the winner of the contract to build the Human Lander System for the Artemis 3 mission, due to fly in 2024. It was suspected that NASA would select two groups, however, Congress did not provide NASA with the requested amount for the project, thus allowing only one group to move forward.

SpaceX submitted the smallest bid of three and was awarded the contract. The US Government Accountability Office sided with NASA on their decision to have one lunar lander provider, despite the protest of Blue Origin.

Space X intervened in the lawsuit to ensure the court "has a complete and accurate picture of the facts and circumstances surrounding this protest, including the substantial harm that SpaceX will suffer if the court grants the relief sought."

NASA said on Thursday it "is committed to Artemis and to maintaining the nation's global leadership in space exploration. With our partners, we will go to the moon and stay to enable science investigations, develop new technology, and create high-paying jobs for the greater good and in preparation to send astronauts to Mars."

FMI: www.nasa.gov, www.blueorigin.com, www.spacex.com