Jeff Bezos Persuades NASA For A Mission To The Moon With Blue Origin

Jeff Bezos, wants NASA to use Blue Origin for a mission to the Moon. (photo: instagram @Jeffbezos)

JAKARTA - Just returned to Earth from a trip into space, Jeff Bezos recently offered NASA a USD 2 billion discount. The discounted price will be given if the US space agency gives a contract to his company, Blue Origin on a mission to explore the Moon.

Jeff Bezos asked NASA to allow his company to build a spacecraft designed to land astronauts back on the Moon under the Artemis program. The program aims to return humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972.

In a letter to NASA administrator Bill Nelson, Bezos said Blue Origin would cut payments by up to USD 2 billion. NASA only has to pay for orbital missions to maintain the technology.

In exchange, Blue Origin will receive a contract at a fixed price and cover the excess system development costs.

"NASA deviated from its original dual-source acquisition strategy due to perceived short-term budget issues, and this offer removes that bottleneck", Bezos said.

However, NASA favored SpaceX in April with a USD 2.9 billion contracts to build the spacecraft. The plane from Elon Musk's company will bring astronauts to the surface of the Moon in early 2024.

At the same time, NASA turned down offers from Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics. Blue Origin has also partnered with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Draper on the offering.

NASA admits Blue Origin's price doesn't match their budget. SpaceX's proven orbital missions and other factors in the contract decision are what senior NASA official Kathy Lueders called the best value for the government.

A NASA spokesman said they were aware of Bezos' letter but declined to comment further. This is because Blue Origin has previously filed a complaint with the US government's Office of Accountability, accusing NASA of giving SpaceX an unfair advantage by allowing it to revise its price.

The US government's decision is expected to come in early August, although many believe Bezos' request could not be granted. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.

Bezos' offer comes six days after he flew with his three crew to the edge of space in a New Shepard Blue Origin rocket and capsule, a milestone for the company to become a major player in the burgeoning space tourism market.