NASA chief on Blue Origin protest: “They have every right” to sue

Enlarge / Former Florida Senator Bill Nelson was confirmed as NASA administrator earlier this year. (credit: NASA)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said he is not upset with Blue Origin for pursuing all legal avenues after the company lost a space agency contract for a lunar lander.

"We are a nation of laws and as such we want to follow the law," Nelson said in response to a question from Ars. "They have a right of appeal, and they have chosen to exercise that right. They have every right under the law to do that, and there will be a determination. And then we will move on."

Nearly five months have passed since NASA selected SpaceX to build a Human Landing System for its lunar program, named Artemis. After the decision, both Blue Origin and another bidder, Dynetics, protested the award to the US Government Accountability Office, and in late July the protest was rejected.

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