ARS Technica by Eric Berger - 8/11/2021
Bezos likely views the Human Landing System contract as COTS for Blue Origin.
On Wednesday, the US Government Accountability Office released its full-but-redacted decision that ruled in favor of NASA's selection of a Human Landing System contractor. The document (see PDF) makes clear that SpaceX offered NASA the most technically ready, well-managed, lowest-cost option.
Furthermore, the decision document says NASA was entirely justified in selecting a single winner for the lunar lander bid because Congress appropriated only about one-quarter of the funds sought by the space agency. NASA, the document states, "expressly put all offerors on notice that the number of awards was subject to available funding, and the agency could make multiple contract awards, a single award, or no award at all."
As it has already done several times since NASA's original decision to select SpaceX in April, Blue Origin greeted the GAO's full decision with a testy response. "We stand by our assessment that SpaceX received preferential treatment," the statement says, in part.
Blue Origin is clearly not giving up on the Human Landing System contract, nor is it shy to continue attacking NASA and its choice of SpaceX to build the lander, even if it now seems like a forlorn hope. NASA made its decision in April. And now the GAO looked into the matter and found that NASA's decision was sound and justified.
More:
https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/08/this-is-probably-why-blue-origin-keeps-protesting-nasas-lunar-lander-award/
