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

The ruling marks the end of a tedious process dating back to April, when Blue Origin, alongside Dynetics, filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office claiming the bidding process for NASA’s contract was unfair. After that effort failed, Blue Origin moved on to file its suit against NASA, despite Bezos previously claiming that such lawsuits were hindering space exploration.

Following the ruling, NASA released a statement today saying it will resume its work with SpaceX right away and acknowledged future opportunities for companies (maybe even Blue Origin) to partner 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.”