SpaceX Asked by NASA to Halt Lunar Lander Work Pending Contract Challenges

NASA awarded SpaceX the lunar contract over Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and defence contractor Dynetics.

By Reuters | Updated: 1 May 2021 11:24 IST

SpaceX Asked by NASA to Halt Lunar Lander Work Pending Contract Challenges

Photo Credit: Reuters

The project awarded to SpaceX aims to put humans back on the Moon

Highlights

NASA's decision means SpaceX has to halt the Moon programme work
Blue Origin on Monday filed a protest with the US government
SpaceX rival Dynetics has also challenged the Nasa contract award

US space agency NASA has told Elon Musk's SpaceX to halt work under a contract it won to develop a lunar spacecraft, pending the outcome of challenges by rival bidders at the US Government Accountability Office, the agency said on Friday.

NASA's decision means SpaceX has to stop any work specifically related to the Moon programme contract until the GAO makes a ruling, expected August 4 at the latest.

A SpaceX spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Earlier this month, NASA awarded SpaceX the lunar contract over billionaire Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics.

The high-profile project aims to put humans back on the Moon for the first time since 1972.

Blue Origin on Monday filed a protest with the GAO, arguing among other things that NASA gave SpaceX the chance to revise its bid but did not give that chance to Blue Origin.

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Blue Origin also argues the decision extends SpaceX's "monopolistic" control in space exploration.

The GAO confirmed that Dynetics has also challenged the NASA contract award to SpaceX.

"Pursuant to the GAO protests, NASA instructed SpaceX that progress on the HLS (human landing system) contract has been suspended until GAO resolves all outstanding litigation related to this procurement," the agency said on Friday.

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© Thomson Reuters 2021

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