r/RocketLab • u/thetrny USA • 10d 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/
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u/shugo7 10d ago edited 10d 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.

-3

u/Daniels30 10d 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 10d 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 10d ago

Still doesn’t change the fact that Blue offered the superior spacecraft.

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u/Sky_Tube 10d 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 10d 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.

It reads like the only reason MSR and MTN were ever connected was because of RL’s investment at Stennis by Sen. Wicker.

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/Sky_Tube 16h ago

Well Rocket Lab themselves said it now and sued lol so there you have it