The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has dismissed protests from Blue Origin and Dynetics against NASA's decision to award a single lunar lander contract to SpaceX. Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin's founder, expressed strong disagreement with the ruling.
Several months ago, NASA selected SpaceX to adapt its Starship as the Artemis program's Human Landing System (HLS), placing a bold bet on innovative technology. Blue Origin and Dynetics challenged the award, arguing NASA should have issued at least two contracts to foster competition, as previously indicated.
With a deadline of August 4, the GAO delivered its decision on July 30. It found that NASA "did not violate any public procurement laws" by awarding a single HLS contract to SpaceX, despite past discussions of multiple awards.
The GAO also affirmed that NASA's evaluation of the three proposals was "reasonable and consistent with procurement laws, regulations, and solicitation terms."
Dynetics issued a statement respecting the GAO's ruling and pledged to refine its lander design for future opportunities.
Blue Origin, however, remains defiant. In an open letter, Jeff Bezos urged NASA to revert to a competitive dual-supplier model: "Without competition, NASA will face limited options amid delays, design changes, and cost overruns, hindering lunar ambitions and national interests."
A Blue Origin spokesperson told SpaceNews: "We believe fundamental issues persist with NASA's decision, but the GAO's jurisdiction limited resolution. We will advocate for two providers as the optimal path."
With protests resolved, NASA and SpaceX can advance toward Artemis III, targeted for 2024. The mission involves a Super Heavy rocket launching Starship to lunar orbit, an SLS rocket sending Orion with crew to rendezvous, crew transfer to Starship for lunar descent, and a reverse process for return.
