Blue Origin launches lawsuit against NASA after missing out on lunar lander contract to SpaceX.
The firm of former Amazon boss Jeff Bezos is suing NASA over its $2.9 billion deal with Elon Musk.
The space agency awarded the pricey lunar lander contract to SpaceX, following the decision to fund one of the two companies back in April.
The funding will assist SpaceX in the development of a landing system that has the possibility to take astronauts down to the Moon’s surface by 2024.
“Fundamental issues” Blue Origin Claims
Bezos’ firm Blue Origin says there were “fundamental issues” with the deal, after filing a lawsuit in the US Court of Federal Claims on Friday.
With the support of the Government Accountability Officer (GAO), NASA made the decision to pick a single lunar lander provider due to a shortfall in funding.
But Blue Origin says the decision is “unfair” and believe two providers are necessary to build the landing system.
“The issues identified in this procurement and its outcomes must be addressed to restore fairness, create competition, and ensure a safe return to the Moon for America,” Blue Origin says.
The former Amazon boss’ firm and defence contractor Dynetics argue that NASA should award multiple firms with the funding.
However the GAO rejected the complaint and says it “denies the protest arguments that NASA acted improperly in making a single award to SpaceX.”
NASA is yet to comment on the matter as officials review the details of the case, with a response expected by October 12.
Amazon reported better-than-expected results for the last quarter, surpassing analysts’ estimates.
Amazon reported better-than-expected results for the last quarter, surpassing analysts’ estimates, driven by strong performance in its cloud computing and AI.
Tesla cut the U.S. prices of its Model Y, Model X and Model S vehicles by $2,000 each, days after the first-quarter deliveries of the world’s most valuable automaker missed market expectations.
Elon Musk’s electric-vehicle (EV) maker lowered the prices for its Model Y base variant to $42,990, while the long-range and performance variants are now priced at $47,990 and $51,490, respectively, according to its website.
The basic version of the Model S now costs $72,990 and its plaid variant $87,990. The Model X base variant now costs $77,990 and its plaid variant is priced at $92,900.
Tesla North America also said in a post on X said it would end its referral program benefits in all markets after April 30.
Referral program allows buyers to get extra incentives through referrals from existing customers, a strategy long used by traditional automakers to boost sales.
Musk has postponed a planned trip to India where he was to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and announce plans to enter the South Asian market, Reuters reported on Saturday.
On Monday Reuters reported, citing an internal memo, that the EV maker was laying off more than 10% of its global workforce.
Earlier this month Reuters reported the EV maker had canceled a long-promised inexpensive car, expected to cost $25,000, that investors had been counting on to drive mass-market growth.
The EV maker reported this month that its global vehicle deliveries in the first quarter fell for the first time in nearly four years, as price cuts failed to stir demand.
Tesla is to report first-quarter earnings on Tuesday.