NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)

[DocM]

(in)Justice Department agrees to a temporary stop of NASA's work on Starship HLS until Nov. 1.

 

 Court schedule,

 

 

[DocM]

Blue made a motion asking the Judge to un-seal the lawsuit documents, presumably allow  their proxies to publish  clickbait headlines before the October/November hearings.

 

The Judge denied Blue's  motion.

[DocM]

 Blue Origin's main claim is that SpaceX didn't won't be doing  Flight Readiness Reviews before tanker flights.  SpaceX begs to differ...

[IsItPluggedIn]

So from BO's perspective:

 

SpaceX had bad wording in their proposal and didnt state that they had FRR for each Launch.

BO had bad payment terms in their proposal

NASA looked at both figured that they could get either to fix the wording.

NASA then looked at the remaining factors. Price, BO needing a completely different vehicle for actual missions, BO no Commercial usage or Funding.

NASA chose SpaceX

NASA is being unfair because they allowed SpaceX to change the bad wording.

 

Well we will see how this plays out in the courts..... Well we will at least see who in the system is getting bribed.

 

[DocM]

NASA's Blue Origin lawsuit court filing is like...OUCH!

 

NASA: "All of this once-in-a-generation momentum, can easily be undone by one party—in this case, Blue Origin—who seeks to prioritize its own fortunes over that of NASA, the United States, and every person alive today"

 

 

 

 

 

[IsItPluggedIn]

I feel like they are just throwing mud at the wall to see what sticks.

 

The more I read about this the flimsier their case seems.

 

Their biggest hinging point is the FRR, and that their bid would have been "cheaper" if they didnt have to do them. But I dont know how much water that will hold. (as they would have to do 3 and SpaceX would still have to do 3)

 

I think outlining the failings of their proposal, will easily be able to rule out any wrong doing. 

[DocM]

Funding for a second HLS lander won't be in the FY2022 Senate budget reconciliation package. A big loss for Blue Origin as this delays funding for a second HLS lander until at least FY2023, seriously delaying their effort. 

 

https://spacenews.com/revised-budget-reconciliation-package-reduces-nasa-infrastructure-funds/

 

NASA's voluntary stay of performance expires Monday, November 1. Absent an unexpected Blue Origin win, this would allow NASA engineers & astronauts to return to Starbase.

 

Edited October 30, 2021 by DocM

[DocM]

 

https://firefly.com/firefly-aerospace-is-one-step-closer-to-landing-on-the-moon/

 

[SteveL]

It is the end of this saga? I hope yes

 

Blue Origin loses federal lawsuit over NASA moon lander contract

[DocM]

On 04/11/2021 at 15:44, SteveL said:

It is the end of this saga? I hope yes

 

Blue Origin loses federal lawsuit over NASA moon lander contract

 

Yup, Blue lost. NASA statements.

 

 

Quote

 

NASA was notified Thursday that the U.S. Court of Federal Claims denied Blue Origin’s bid protest, upholding NASA’s selection of SpaceX to develop and demonstrate a modern human lunar lander. NASA will resume work with SpaceX under the Option A contract as soon as possible.

 

In addition to this contract, NASA continues working with multiple American companies to bolster competition and commercial readiness for crewed transportation to the lunar surface. There will be forthcoming opportunities for companies to partner with NASA in establishing a long-term human presence at the Moon under the agency’s Artemis program, including a call in 2022 to U.S. industry for recurring crewed lunar landing services. 

 

Through Artemis missions, NASA will lead the world in landing the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface, conduct extensive operations on and around the Moon, and get ready for human missions to Mars.

-end-

 

 

[DocM]

NASA Admin Bill Nelson pretty much tosses Blue under the bus...

 

 

[DocM]

 

[DocM]

Bezos is such a weasel 😂

 

 

[DocM]

If you don't succeed, COPYI 😂

 

(But with 1/5 to 1/3 Starship's initial cargo capacity )

 

Blue Origin's "revised" lunar lander presented at International Astronautical Congress 2021.

 

 

Cropped & perspective adjusted...

 

[DocM]

The Kilopower reactor has grown up, perhaps because Starship HLS could carry several units.

 

 

[DocM]

Starship HLS update

 

NASA ASAP = their  safety advisory committee.  What they mention are pretty much known risks, and we've already seen SpaceX working on mitigations of most.

 

During the shutdown for Blue Origins GAO lawsuit SpaceX kept on working, and NASA validated that work after the lawsuit was shut down. NASA then  paid SpaceX in full for 5 milestones achieved.

 

 

 

 

 

[DocM]

LONG Raptor 2 engine test...

 

[IsItPluggedIn]

Might just be bad wording, but "test landings prior to the first human landing" the plan was for only 1, maybe we will see more since its SpaceX and that is there MO, they may even add some basic payload for testing which would be cool.

 

"Some of the mitigations include the fact that there will be uncrewed test landings prior to the first human landing."

[DocM]

It wouldn't surprise me to see an extra test landing, SpaceX has a tendency to test hardware extensively. 

[DocM]

NASA Starship HLS unscrewed test & Artemis 3 concept images in the .PDF.

 

From a LETS* contract presentation. LETS is a competition for the operational lunar landing contracts. For anyone other than SpaceX to get a contract Congress would have to allocate ~10 billion for a second lander system. 

 

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20220003725/downloads/22 3 7 Kent IEEE paper.pdf

 

* Lunar Exploration Transportation Services

 

Vehicles: Starship Tanker (returns to Earth), Starship HLS & Starship Depot (both stay in space, Depot has a tank stretch for extra capacity.)

 

SLS only launches crew in Orion at a cost of $4.1 billion per launch. In-sane.

 

 

Crew / cargo elevator and airlock (2 for redundancy).

 

 

Edited March 12, 2022 by DocM

[DocM]

NASA Starship HLS unscrewed test & Artemis 3 concept images in the .PDF.

 

From a LETS* contract presentation. LETS is a competition for the operational lunar landing contracts. For anyone other than SpaceX to get a contract Congress would have to allocate ~10 billion for a second lander system. 

 

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20220003725/downloads/22 3 7 Kent IEEE paper.pdf

 

* Lunar Exploration Transportation Services

 

Vehicles & concept of operations: Starship Tanker (returns to Earth), Starship HLS & Starship Depot (both stay in space, Depot has a tank stretch for extra capacity.)

 

SLS is only used to launch the crew in Orion at a cost of $4.1 billion per launch.  In-sane.

 

 

Crew / cargo elevator and airlock (2 for redundancy).

 

[DocM]

Artemis, Starship, HLS and LETS (lunar exploration transportation system) news

 

 

 

 

 

[IsItPluggedIn]

@DocM Confirming Details.

 

SpaceX now has 2 Crew and 2 landing

 

Artemis Missions

1 - Uncrewed

2 - Crewed Flyby

3 - 2 Person Lander (SpaceX Crew Lander 1)

4 - I-HAB build (no lunar landing, SLS block 1B)

5 - Lunar Landing + Esprite Module (SpaceX Crew lander 2)

 

The second landing is currently scheduled for 2027, but that requires the EUS to be completed and no other delays.

 

That means the second company developing a lander has until until at least 2028 be to be used. 6 years without any delays to other systems (unlikely).

 

[DocM]

AIUI before Artemis 3 there is an uncrewed Starship test landing, but it's not in the Artemis (x) numbering system, different program

 

Edited March 28, 2022 by DocM

[DocM]

Sounds like they're going to evolve Artemis' companion program, Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), to more than lunar.