Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin protests NASA's moon lander contract with Elon Musk's SpaceX

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, the space rocket company, is now formally challenging the $2.9 billion moon lander contract which was recently awarded to its rivalSpaceX by NASA.

On Monday, Blue Origin said it had filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office, accusing the space agency of making tweaks for contract bidders at the last minute.

"NASA has executed a flawed acquisition for the Human Landing System programme and moved the goalposts at the last minute",Reuters cited BlueOriginas saying in a statement.

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"Their decision eliminates opportunities for competition, significantly narrows the supply base, and not only delays, but also endangers America's return to the moon. Because of that, we've filed a protest with the GAO”, it added.

While Elon Musk’s SpaceX made the bid alone, Bezos’ Blue Origin made the bid in partnership with Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp and Draper.

The world’s first and third richest people respectively, Bezos and Musk have been competing to be at the helm of man’s return to moon for the first time since 1972.

The contract will see NASA’s first commercial human lander, constituent of its Artemis programme. NASA says that the lander will carry in it two American astronauts to the moon’s surface.

"We should accomplish the next landing as soon as possible… If they hit their milestones, we have a shot at 2024," Steve Jurczyk, NASA's acting administrator said during the announcement made virtually on April 17.

Apollo landings from 1969-1972 mark the only human visits to the moon’s surface. Now, NASA is relying on private companies to send astronauts to the moon to complete its space ambition projects.

But before humans make the journey, SpaceX will be required to conduct a test flight of the lander to the moon.

(With inputs from agencies)