https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/rocket-lab-protests-nasa-award-of-mars-telecom-orbiter-contractContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/rocket-lab-protests-nasa-award-of-mars-telecom-orbiter-contracthttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/rocket-lab-protests-nasa-award-of-mars-telecom-orbiter-contract#u68552Tue, 15 Sep 2026 05:22:12 +0000Rocket Lab filed a formal protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office on September 11, 2026, challenging NASA's decision to award Blue Origin a Mars Telecommunications Network contract worth up to $700 million. The company claims NASA ignored congressional eligibility requirements and committed technical errors when evaluating its proposal. Rocket Lab argues the award decision is inconsistent with eligibility criteria, attempting to block Blue Origin from developing the communications network around Mars.Why it mattersThis dispute highlights the competitive nature of government https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/rocket-lab-protests-nasa-award-of-mars-telecom-orbiter-contracthttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/rocket-lab-protests-nasa-award-of-mars-telecom-orbiter-contract#u67644Mon, 14 Sep 2026 07:55:42 +0000Rocket Lab filed a formal protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office on September 11, 2026, challenging NASA's decision to award Blue Origin a Mars communications orbiter contract worth up to $700 million. Rocket Lab argues that the selection process failed to follow congressional eligibility requirements and that NASA committed technical errors when evaluating its proposal. Blue Origin secured the contract to develop a communications network around Mars for NASA, a reversal from 2021 when Blue Origin itself challenged a major NASA lunar lander contract awarded to SpaceX.Why i