The rivalry between billionaires Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, the second and third richest men in the world regarding space exploration, has taken a new turn, reaching the level of litigation. According to CNN, “Blue Origin,” owned by Bezos and specializing in spaceflight services, has filed a lawsuit challenging the decision made by the American space agency NASA to select the competing “SpaceX,” owned by Musk, as the sole winner of the lunar landing program contract under its Artemis program.
The network explained that this step taken by Blue Origin intensifies the already heated contest between it and SpaceX over the program, which NASA has backed with several billions of dollars. It noted that the details of the lawsuit have not yet been disclosed as the documents are under a confidentiality seal; however, Blue Origin mentioned that the lawsuit serves as an attempt to "address the gaps identified in the procurement process of the program." The program's idea is based on involving the private sector in developing, building, and testing the vehicle that will place astronauts on the moon's surface for the first time in fifty years.
NASA had promised to award several contracts under the program to at least two companies to allow them to compete against each other, but announced in April that it awarded a single contract valued at $2.9 billion exclusively to SpaceX due to costs, as Congress did not provide all the funds it requested to execute the program. Blue Origin attempted to contest NASA's decision at the Government Accountability Office, but it sided with the agency. Blue Origin added, "We fully believe that the issues identified in the awarding process of this contract need to be addressed and that this is essential to restore fairness, create competition, and ensure a safe return for America to the moon."
NASA issued a statement last Monday indicating that it is aware of the lawsuit and is currently reviewing its details, noting that it will provide an update on the means of returning to the moon safely and quickly under the Artemis program. A judge granted Blue Origin’s request to keep the lawsuit sealed, arguing that it could reveal "proprietary information, trade secrets, and confidential financial data," leading to "significant competitive harm."
