Rocket Lab protests NASA's $700 million Mars orbiter award to Blue Origin
Rocket Lab has lodged a formal protest with the GAO over NASA’s selection of Blue Origin to build a $700 million Mars Telecommunications Network spacecraft.
NASA’s recent decision to award a $700 million Mars Telecommunications Network spacecraft contract to Blue Origin has been challenged by Rocket Lab. The company submitted a protest to the US Government Accountability Office, arguing that the award conflicts with eligibility criteria set by Congress. Rocket Lab further contended that NASA’s assessment of its technical proposal was overly harsh and included incorrect conclusions.
The Mars orbiter contract originates from a supplemental funding bill passed in 2025, which limits competition to firms that received 2024-25 federal funding for commercial Mars Sample Return design studies. Eligible competitors listed alongside Rocket Lab include Blue Origin, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, SpaceX, Quantum Space, and Whittinghill Aerospace. The protest highlights tensions over how the new Mars communications infrastructure will be sourced and managed.
Why it matters
The dispute could delay a critical communications satellite for future Mars missions.
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