NASA & SpaceX Moon Mission Back On Track After Blue Origin Loses Lawsuit

NASA & SpaceX Moon Mission Back On Track After Blue Origin Loses Lawsuit

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For months, Blue Origin has delayed NASA and SpaceX from working on their lunar contract. Finally, the two organizations can proceed with their work.

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NASA & SpaceX Moon Mission Back On Track After Blue Origin Loses Lawsuit

Following months of delays caused by Blue Origin, NASA and SpaceX can finally proceed with their upcoming Moon mission that’s been on hold since May. Out of all the entities in our Solar System, the Moon is one of the most fascinating. It’s the first (and only) destination in space humans have set foot on, helps brighten the night sky, is responsible for all tides on Earth, and was a key component in the Space Race between the 1950s and 70s. Without the Moon, life as we know it would be dramatically different.

Despite the Moon’s neverending fascination, missions to it have slowed down dramatically since the 1970s. The last time someone set foot on the Moon was back in 1972. There’s been continued exploration and research of the Moon since then, but no human has been there for over 46 years. That’s why NASA’s Artemis program is so exciting. Announced in 2017, the Artemis program promises to land humans on the moon once more by 2024. It’s an exciting step forward for space and Moon exploration alike, but unfortunately, it’s been held up for months thanks to Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin.

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Back in April, NASA announced it had selected Elon Musk’s SpaceX to create the Human Landing System that’ll land astronauts on the Moon’s surface. Just days later, Blue Origin challenged the decision and caused NASA to put the $2.9 billion contract on hold. NASA and SpaceX have been unable to proceed with their agreement since then. Blue Origin has publicly mocked NASA for choosing SpaceX, NASA’s criticized Blue Origin for delaying the mission, and it’s been nothing but an ugly mess. Thankfully, all of this bickering is finally behind us. Per a Bloomberg report on November 4, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims dismissed Blue Origin’s lawsuit. Judge Richard A. Hertling made the decision via a one-page order of judgment, and once all parties make any necessary redactions, it’ll be released to the public.

What Blue Origin Is Saying About This Decision

As you might imagine, Blue Origin hasn’t taken too kindly to this decision. Per a spokesperson from the space company, “Our lawsuit with the Court of Federal Claims highlighted the important safety issues with the Human Landing System procurement process that must still be addressed.” The Blue Origin spokesperson continues, “Returning astronauts safely to the Moon through NASA’s public-private partnership model requires an unprejudiced procurement process alongside sound policy that incorporates redundant systems and promotes competition.”

Since it initially delayed the contract in May, Blue Origin has argued that its technology is better and safer than the Human Landing System SpaceX proposed. Blue Origin said SpaceX’s system is “immensely complex & high risk,” slammed SpaceX’s spacecraft for being too large, and claimed that SpaceX’s launch site hadn’t ever conducted an orbital launch — a claim that’s objectively not true. That’s not to say Blue Origin’s Human Landing System isn’t good, but the way it’s gone about this whole situation has made the company look incredibly unprofessional.

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Regardless, that’s all in the past now. Blue Origin’s challenge failed, SpaceX can get to work on its contract with NASA, and we’re one step closer to actually getting people back on the Moon. It’s unfortunate that things are now happening months later than they could have, but at least we’re finally moving in the right direction.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/nasa-spacex-moon-mission-back-blue-origin-lawsuit-fails/

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