When NASA began its first round of Human Landing System contracts, for a mission to the moon, it awarded almost a billion to three space companies. However, it chose SpaceX as the sole contractor for the next level, leaving a belligerent Bezos lodging a formal protest which the company lost. Following this, Bezos’ Blue Origin website has posted an infographic criticizing SpaceX.
Last Friday, the U.S. Government Accountability Office denied a formal protest by Blue Origin with reference to NASA giving SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract under the Human Landing System program. The congressional watchdog ruled in favor of NASA.
Blue Origin, who was hoping to get a ruling in its favor, immediately spoke against the decision saying that NASA’s decision was “wrong for America’s leadership in space” and more.
This week Blue Origin’s website published an infographic comparing the two lunar programs. Some of the information includes technical comparisons while some of the information is inaccurate.
Blue Origin said that SpaceX’s facility in Texas “never conducted an orbital launch.” This is inaccurate as Elon Musk led SpaceX has completed more than a hundred successful launches with its Falcon 9 rockets. Bezos’ Blue Origin has not even reached orbit.
In May, SpaceX completed a high altitude launching as well as landing of a Starship prototype. The space company is also preparing for its first orbital launch.
When Blue Origin compared its program for a moon landing with that of SpaceX’s lunar program, it did not mention the high cost of its program. NASA had said that the cost of the program mattered as they had received limited funds from Congress.
Blue Origin has compared its operation which looks like previous U.S. landers to SpaceX moon-specific version of its Starship rocket. A comparison between an expensive somewhat tried and tested technology and design by Bezos’ Blue Origin versus a new, cheaper, and different approach by Musk’s SpaceX is only on paper and a matter of speculation as of now. If Musk successfully launches his spacecraft to the moon for NASA, then even this comparison on its website would not matter.
Image SpaceX
