In April of this year announceNASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon by 2024, will be implemented with the help of SpaceX. As part of the deal, NASA will pay $10.9 billion for commercial space exploration to SpaceX to develop a moon landing module for the Human Landing System (HLS) program.
In addition to SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, Dynetics and Blue Origin, led by Jeff Bezos, applied to develop the Artemis spacecraft. According to the original plan, NASA was going to work with two companies, but Congress cut the framework that the space agency could spend, so in the end, only SpaceX would get support, and Blue Origin and Dynetics seem to be left out of the new. Moon programme. Thus, Bezos’ company is 175 pages at the end of April Also filed a complaintNow the richest man in the world has come up with a new idea to bring his company back into the program.
Jeff Bezos In an open letter He turned to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, describing that he would forgo some of the $2 billion grant in the first two years of the decade if NASA also included a Blue Origin module developed by Blue Origin in a major phase of the Artemis program. In addition, Bezos also offers in an open letter that he will fund a blue moon test in low Earth orbit, saving hundreds of millions of dollars for NASA and
The Amazon founder will also have his own pocket if development costs exceed the limit stipulated in the contract.
Bezos’ presentation came exactly one week before the Government Accountability Office (GAO) made a decision on a complaint filed by Blue Origin in April. A NASA spokesperson said they took note of the open letter offer from Bezos and Blue Origin, but did not comment further on the ongoing procurement issue and the Government Accountability Office’s investigation. SpaceX has not commented on this issue.
“NASA should not ignore such an offer,” Bezos said in a letter to edgeLaurie Garver, former deputy administrator of NASA, who was still active in the commercial astronaut program (Commercial Crew Program). However, he also adds that in the form that the thing is unlikely to come true, as Blue Origin wants it to be. Garver explained that the contract with the space agency was always part of the plans, and they were also aware that designating SpaceX as the sole winner could lead to legal problems.
NASA cannot accept bids just because someone else will cover the cost. Blue Origin should use this money to develop their technology so that they can come out of a better position next time.
According to Bezos, the $2 billion rebate could fill the shortfall in the cost of the lunar development program and prevent any delays before 2024, a somewhat closed deadline for space exploration. The decision, in turn, lies with the bureaucracy. The GAO may accept or reject the complaint until August 2, after which, depending on the decision, it will make a recommendation to NASA by announcing a possible new tender in which the space agency will operate with an increased budget for the money provided by Bezos. However, this requires unanimous approval and approval from the Senate and the House of Representatives, but many members of the latter did not evaluate Blue Origin’s complaint or offerings.
This isn’t the first time Bezos has pushed for a spacecraft to fly to the Moon, by the way. Blue Origin, in collaboration with Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Draper in 2019, Blue Moon when applying It has already offered to reimburse thirty percent of the costs from its own budget. In addition, they have already filed a complaint with the Government Accountability Office about the loss of a tender announced by the Air Force, and although the agency accepted their complaint, the Senate and House of Representatives did not change their decision.
(Cover Image: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
