Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos wants his company to land on the moon and he's offering to waive billions in costs if NASA gives him the chance instead of SpaceX.
In an open letter to NASA head Bill Nelson, Bezos laid out his proposal of shaving two years' worth of costs off a government contract for Kent, Washington-based Blue Origin to develop a lunar lander. He also took aim at NASA's choice in April to award one contract to Blue Origin rival SpaceX. Instead of "investing in two competing lunar landers as originally intended," Bezos said, "the Agency chose to confer a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar head start to SpaceX."
Bezos sent the letter just days after his 10-minute trip to space.
NASA gave the $2.9 billion contract to Elon Musk's SpaceX, which Bezos said eliminated any viable competition for the development of the human landing system (HLS) on the moon. The program's goal is to get humans back on the moon this decade.
NASA's decision to back off its embrace of competition for the contract was due in part to lack of funding from Congress, officials suggested in April. The agency has not returned a request for comment.
But Bezos believes his offer erases that excuse.
"Blue Origin will bridge the HLS budgetary funding shortfall by waiving all payments in the current and next two government fiscal years up to $2B to get the program back on track right now," Bezos said. "This offer is not a deferral, but is an outright and permanent waiver of those payments. This offer provides time for government appropriation actions to catch up."
Blue Origin, flanked by Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper, protested the contract with the U.S. Government Accountability Office less than two weeks after NASA gave it to SpaceX. Blue Origin said NASA's decision was flawed, based on misjudgments of both Blue Origin and SpaceX.
“I am honored to offer these contributions and am grateful to be in a financial position to be able to do so,” said Bezos, who reclaimed the title of the wealthiest person on the planet in March after Musk took it briefly.
