Bezos Takes Space Battle Against Musk to Court, Musk Slams Bezos' Technology: 'The First Thing You'd Want to Do Is Cancel It' Blue Origin referred to NASA's decision to grant the $2.9 billion lunar contract exclusively to SpaceX as 'inconsistent and unfair' in a separate statement.

By Emily Rella

Mandel Ngan | Getty Images

Jeff Bezos' war against NASA and its decision to grant the sole lunar landing contract to rival SpaceX has soared to new heights, as the drawn-out protest is now being taken to federal court. "We firmly believe that the issues identified in this procurement and its outcomes must be addressed to restore fairness, create competition and ensure a safe return to the Moon for America," Blue Origin, Bezos' space-exploration company, said in a statement to Fox Business.

The issue first arose after Blue Origin and space-systems contrator Dyneticsa protested NASA's decision to award Elon Musk's SpaceX exclusive rights to build lunar-landing vehicles. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) rejected both protests on July 30, though the decision was just made public this week.

Related: Jeff Bezos Makes History in Successful Space Flight

Bezos and Blue Origin doubled down days later by posting a brutal infographic slamming SpaceX and its lunar starship, pointing out the flaws in what the company believes to be an "immensely complex" vehicle and plan. "There are an unprecedented number of technologies, developments and operations that have never been done before for [SpaceX's] Starship to land on the Moon," the original infographic read.

Blue Origin also referred to NASA's decision to grant the $2.9 billion lunar contract exclusively to SpaceX as "inconsistent and unfair" in a separate statement.

Friday's court filing continues to press at NASA's decision-making, with NASA representatives reporting that that they are "currently reviewing details" of the lawsuit.

Of course, Musk had to get a final jab in on Twitter, initially hiting back at Blue Origin's claim that SpaceX's success requires "16 consecutive launches with only three total flight readiness reviews instead of one for each launch." In response, Musk tweeted: "16 flights is highly unlikely," but even if it was needed, it would "not be a problem" for SpaceX.

Related: Did Richard Branson Really Go Into Space? Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson Says No

But he didn't stop there.

After Blue Origin's revised infographic that continued to dub SpaceX's Starship a "immensely complex and high risk" started making its rounds on Twitter, Musk cheekily responded.

"The sad thing is that even if Santa Claus suddenly made their hardware real for free, the first thing you'd want to do is cancel it," he said regarding Blue Origin's moon vehicle and spacecraft plans.

Though it had been initially reported and planned for Musk and SpaceX to land humans on the moon by 2024, he recently replied to a tweet about the timeline by teasing, "probably sooner."

Related: Jeff Bezos Isn't Actually an Astronaut, According to the FAA

Wavy Line
Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Editor's Pick

A Father Decided to Change When He Was in Prison on His Son's Birthday. Now His Nonprofit Helps Formerly Incarcerated Applicants Land 6-Figure Jobs.
Lock
A Teen Turned His Roblox Side Hustle Into a Multimillion-Dollar Company — Now He's Working With Karlie Kloss and Elton John
Lock
3 Mundane Tasks You Should Automate to Save Your Brain for the Big Stuff
Lock
The Next Time Someone Intimidates You, Here's What You Should Do
5 Ways to Manage Your Mental Health and Regulate Your Nervous System for Sustainable Success

Related Topics

Growing a Business

The Best Way to Run a Business Meeting

All too often, meetings run longer than they should and fail to keep attendees engaged. Here's how to run a meeting the right way.

Fundraising

Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video Conferencing

As more and more businesses go remote, these are ways to be more effective and efficient on conference calls.

Business News

'Do You Hate Me?': High School Teacher Shares Wild Emails He Receives From Students

Jordan Baechler teaches high school students in Ontario, Canada.

Life Hacks

The Top 5 All-Time Best Productivity Hacks You've Never Heard Of

Want to combat chronic procrastination? Use these top five productivity hacks to put an end to this debilitating nuisance.

Leadership

I Accidentally Became a Successful Entrepreneur. Here Are 5 Mistakes I Learned to Avoid When Starting a Business

PR is, at its core, storytelling. And the story of my now-thriving solo-owned business has been fraught with as many mistakes as successes, as many fall down the ladder as steps up. It's from my missteps, in fact, that I learned even more than from my triumphs, and this article presents 5 of my biggest blunders on the road to a flourishing small business.