engineerdoe
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Joined: May 22, 2013 17:10:26 GMT -5
Posts: 497
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Post by engineerdoe on Jun 4, 2021 16:00:08 GMT -5
Blue Origin was awarded the contract in April 2020 and a year later it was instead given to SpaceX. Sounds like NASA had funding issues that required them to pull the first award and for some reason didn't allow a rebidding process. While I don't think a second award needs to happen, it doesn't sound as if proper bidding and procurement was followed.
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engineerdoe
Established Member
Joined: May 22, 2013 17:10:26 GMT -5
Posts: 497
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Post by engineerdoe on Jun 4, 2021 16:15:36 GMT -5
Did some more research en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis_program : "The Human Landing System, if fully funded and supported over the next several years, could result in crewed missions to the lunar surface beginning with the Artemis 3 mission as early as the mid-2020s.[103][104] In April 2020, NASA awarded US$967 million in design development funding to Blue Origin, Dynetics, and SpaceX to begin a 10-month-long design process.[105][106][103] The companies/teams selected in the 2020 design awards were the "National Team" — led by Blue Origin and partners Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Draper, with US$579 million in NASA design funding; Dynetics, including SNC and other unspecified companies, with US$253 million in NASA funding; and SpaceX with a modified Starship second stage design called Starship HLS, with US$135 million in NASA design funding.[105][107] Although the HLS initial design phase had at first been planned to be a ten-month program, ending in February 2021,[106][103] NASA delayed the selection process and announcement by two months.[108] NASA planned to select up to two contractors at the end of the 12-month design development program.[108] In the end, NASA selected only one lander — Starship HLS.[109] On 16 April 2021, SpaceX was awarded a contract, valued at US$2.89 billion, to develop the Starship HLS lander and to provide two operational lunar missions — one uncrewed demonstration mission, and one crewed lunar landing — as early as 2025.[14][110][111] The Blue Origin bid to NASA had been US$5.99 billion for the Integrated Lander Vehicle development plus two lunar flights.[112] On 26 April 2021, both Blue Origin and Dynetics filed legal challenges with the US Government Accountability Office claiming that NASA had improperly evaluated aspects of the proposals.[113][112] On 30th April 2021, NASA suspended the Starship HLS contract and funding until the GAO has reached a ruling on the legal challenges.[114][115] In May 2021, Sen. Cantwell, from Blue Origin's state Washington, introduced a spending bill amendment that directed NASA to reopen the HLS competition and select a second lander proposal, funded by an additional US$10 billion. Sen. Sanders criticized the amendment as a "multibillion dollar Bezos bailout", as the money would likely go to Blue Origin, which was founded by Jeff Bezos.[116][117][118][119]" Sounds like NASA was at first planning to award two contracts but funding is only allowing one. Cantwell is my senator but I am with Sanders on this one. It may not be good for my state but that is how the bidding process goes.
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