It benefits the American people,' he added. 'We think, and so does the Congress, that competition leads to better, more reliable outcomes. So here it is,' Nelson said during a press conference on Tuesday. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson did not specify how much the program would cost as the budget is pending the release of President Joe Biden's proposal for the 2023 fiscal year next week. Blue Origin accused NASA of eliminating the element of competition on the project by selecting a single company instead of two companies to work side-by-side.

When that failed, Jeff Bezos' space venture sued NASA in federal court in August, dubbing the agency's decision to choose SpaceX as the sole winner of the lunar lander contract 'unfair' and an example of favoritism. The agency backtracked on the offer in April, saying a lack of funding had limited NASA to selecting one company - a decision that Blue Origin took to court.īlue Origin attempted to get NASA to withdraw its decision and took the issue to the Government Accountability Office. NASA initially began the program in 2019 and said it was looking to hire two companies to provide spacecrafts that could transport astronauts from lunar orbit to the moon. 'We will continue to work with NASA to achieve the United States' goal to return to the Moon as soon as possible.'ĬNBC's Michael Sheetz was the first to report Blue Origin's announcement. 'Blue Origin is ready to compete and remains deeply committed to the success of Artemis,' a Blue Origin spokesperson told Insider. Shortly after the announcement, Jeff Bezos' space company announced it would place a bid for the multibillion-dollar contract for a second time. On Wednesday, the space agency announced it was planning to reopen the competition for its Artemis program to a second company.

It often indicates a user profile.īlue Origin is getting a second chance to help NASA send astronauts to the moon after losing the contract to SpaceX last year. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.

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