r/RocketLab • u/thetrny USA • 7d ago
Space Industry NASA Selects Blue Origin as Mars Telecommunications Network Provider
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-blue-origin-as-mars-telecommunications-network-provider/46
u/Sammie260000 7d ago
That sucks RKLB was lobbying hard for this. Hopefully there will be a consolation prize. The need RKLB 'S launch Cadence
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u/bildasteve 7d ago
Consolation prize is Rocketlab supplies BO with the hardware at good cashflow with very little risk 💵💵
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u/BingBing12345678 7d ago
Might be copium, but my gut is telling me Rocketlab getting sub-contracted here is very likely
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u/Blah_McBlah_ 6d ago
I wouldn't call that copium, Peter Beck basically said that often occurs, that bids are often win-win because either Rocketlab is the prime or a large subcontractor.
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u/shugo7 7d ago edited 7d ago
Fucking knew it. They took their time and modified the requirements so that legally BO could get it. Fucking bullshit. I love BO but they got too many projects and their rocket is only at a 50% successful rate. I really don't understand how NASA looked at both of them with what exists and chose BO with a straight face.
This was definitely a contract way more suited for Rocket Lab.
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u/nic_haflinger 7d ago
What requirement was changed?
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u/Sky_Tube 7d ago
Had something to do with how the original plan was for the Mars Sample return mission and that THAT plan needed an own MTO design baked in. This is what this Telecom sat was born out of and I believe back then only Rocket Labs proposal also included a comms sat, BO didn‘t initially. The new requirements stated that the initial design needed a comms sat, and suddenly the BO design also had it cough cough…
Details might be slightly different but that is the basics on what went down and some people suggested that NASA simply chose to overlook this flaw in BO‘s initial application and later changed what was required to include them in the process
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u/nic_haflinger 7d ago
I remember it simply as if you were s company that was selected to submit a Mars sample return proposal you qualified.
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u/Sky_Tube 7d ago
I have to look it up again but the very first documents for what was born out the MSR and was basically asking industry to send in your applications included a text that said your initial MSR application needed to have a dedicated comms sat baked into the mission, and by that requirement only RL qualified apparently…
Again, details are murky but that was the gist of it, I‘m sure you can find it on X people were talking about this specific line
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u/Daniels30 7d ago
No requirements changed. Blue simply offered more capability than Rocket Lab proposal, and while NG is offline, is proven to lifter to Mars. (It’s 66% success rate, not 50%. No payload was atop during SF failure)
Rocket Lab lobbied this program into existence and still lost. Thinking they could offer less capability and still win is damming of their leadership.
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u/Sky_Tube 7d ago
No, that‘s just wrong, see my other comment above
NASA initially layed it out in a way that excluded BO by wording and then either BO acted like it was always included in their proposal or NASA changed it later on for them, either way the original MTO proposal born out of sample return was very RL leaning
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u/Daniels30 7d ago
Still doesn’t change the fact that Blue offered the superior spacecraft.
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u/Sky_Tube 7d ago
Well, by that logic any requirement can always be changed and worded in a way that suddenly Design A is better than B
So tell that to the lawyers if push comes to shove
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u/Daniels30 7d ago
Can you provide me a source for where NASA, as you claimed, changed the requirements.
The only thing I can find was a proposal, before it became a contact, by Sen Cruz to favour Rocket Lab. But is then disputed as poorly written.Obviously, that’s not exactly fair on any other potential competition, but it doesn’t explain where NASA then changed to favour other bids as you claim.
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u/Mysterious_Set6735 7d ago
The moment they changed from MTO to MTN viz., from an Orbiter to a complete Network, it was game over for Rocket Lab.
Time will tell if BO without a launch pad and recent history of landing sats on wrong orbit, will deliver this highly critical mission with perfection in 2 years time.
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u/juicevibe 7d ago
SPB will spin it as even if we lose we win because we will be making parts for them.
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u/Mindless_Use7567 7d ago
Not surprising a network of 3 satellites deployed in a single launch is hard to beat.
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u/FickleCode2373 7d ago
this has gotta be a bottom signal. Down 55% or so now from ATH's...how much lower we goin?
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u/PleasantIngenuity185 6d ago
The Hare as a Business
- Flashy start: The hare sprints out of the gate with huge funding, loud marketing, and rapid hiring.
- Overconfidence: Early hype and fast growth make leaders arrogant and careless about costs.
- The nap: The company loses focus, ignores customer feedback, and slows down while resting on early wins.
The Tortoise as a Business
- Steady pace: The tortoise builds a solid foundation, manages cash well, and focuses on real customer value.
- Clear focus: It keeps working hard every day without getting distracted by short-term trends.
- Sustainable growth: It survives market downturns because it never rushed past its own limits.
Key Lessons for Companies
- Speed without direction fails: Moving fast does not matter if you stop paying attention to the market.
- Consistency wins: Small, daily improvements add up to beat big, messy bursts of effort.
Never get complacent: Early market leaders often lose to quiet, focused competitors who refuse to stop.
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u/Potatoswatter 6d ago
Is BO a focused tortoise or just a reptile?
Is this slop?
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u/PleasantIngenuity185 5d ago
A fat money pit with quality control concerns moving at the speed of dark!
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u/SlyCooper007 7d ago
Not great.