SpaceX sues US Air Force over satellite contracts (Update)

CEO and chief designer of SpaceX Elon Musk in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2014

SpaceX on Friday filed suit against the US Air Force for awarding billions of dollars to a single company for national security launches, and said the contracts might even violate sanctions against Russia.

The US military spends billions yearly with United Launch Alliance, a joint operation of aerospace giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin, to launch government satellites.

The Atlas V and Delta IV rockets are powered by Russian engines, which has raised concern among some lawmakers that such reliance is dangerous in a time of escalating tensions over Ukraine.

"This is not right," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk told reporters, describing the policy of "uncompeted procurement" by the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program.

"SpaceX has decided to file suit and protest the Air Force EELV block buy," Musk said.

The process "essentially blocks companies like SpaceX from competing for national security launches," said Musk at a press conference in the US capital.

The suit was filed in the US Court of Federal Claims, he added.

Musk said ULA rockets cost four times the amount of SpaceX's.

"To add insult to the wound, the primary engine is made in Russia," said Musk.

The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft is pictured just prior to being released by the International Space Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm on May 31 to allow it to head toward a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Credit: NASA

"The person who heads Russian space activities is (deputy prime minister) Dmitry Rogozin, who is on the sanctions list. So it seems pretty strange, like, you know, how is it that we are sending hundreds of millions of US taxpayer money at a time when Russia is in the process of invading Ukraine?" Musk asked.

"It would be hard to imagine some way in which Dmitry Rogozin is not benefiting personally from the dollars that are being sent there," he added.

"On the surface of it is seems there is a good probability of some sanctions violation."

An Internet entrepreneur who co-founded PayPal, Musk has gained a high profile in the business world with SpaceX and his electric car company, Tesla.

In 2012, SpaceX's Dragon capsule became the first unmanned spaceship made by a private US company to reach the International Space Station. A version that could carry crew is expected by 2017.

"This is not SpaceX protesting and saying these launches should be awarded to us. We are just protesting and saying these launches should be competed," Musk said.

"If we compete and lose that's fine."

His California-based firm is also working on a novel rocket, called the Falcon 9 reusable, that could return to Earth from a space launch intact and be used again and again for space launches.

The latest test of the rocket showed it was able to land upright with all legs deployed, but SpaceX was unable to retrieve it intact from its ocean landing, due to stormy seas and lack of access to a big enough boat, he said.

Still, Musk said he hoped the next ocean test landing would go more smoothly, since it would splash down closer to land.

If that goes well, he said he was "optimistic" that the reusable rocket's first land-test return could happen at Florida's Cape Canaveral later this year.

Explore further:SpaceX launches second commercial satellite

© 2014 AFP

More from Physics Forums - General Astronomy

Related Stories

SpaceX launches second commercial satellite

Jan 07, 2014

US company SpaceX said Monday it had deployed a commercial Thai satellite, in its second successful launch in weeks.

SpaceX postpones first satellite launch

Nov 29, 2013

Private US company SpaceX postponed the launch of a rocket carrying its first telecommunications satellite on Thursday after two unsuccessful attempts at take-off.

SpaceX's next-generation reusable rocket roars in tie-down test

Apr 02, 2014

As SpaceX pursues its quest of rocket reusability, it recently subjected the first stage of its next generation Falcon 9 rocket (called the Falcon 9-reusable or F9R) to a tie-down test ahead of some more ...

After two delays, SpaceX counts down to satellite launch (Update)

Dec 03, 2013

Private US company SpaceX was Tuesday poised for a third attempt to launch its first commercial satellite, after repairs were made to the Falcon 9 rocket.

SpaceX reschedules space station resupply launch

Apr 04, 2014

A delayed supply run to the International Space Station is now set to launch April 14.

Third time a charm: SpaceX launches commercial satellite (Update 3)

Dec 03, 2013

The private US company SpaceX said it successfully launched on Tuesday its first commercial satellite, designed to provide telecommunications services to China and other Asian countries.

Recommended for you

LADEE sees zodiacal light before crashing into moon, but Apollo mystery remains

11 hours ago

NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) literally 'saw the light' just days before crashing into the lunar farside last Thursday April 17. Skimming just a few kilometers above the ...

First JPSS-1 satellite instrument is ready for installation

12 hours ago

The first of five instruments that will fly on JPSS-1, NOAA's next polar orbiting environmental satellite, successfully completed pre-shipment review last week. The Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System ...

Curiosity spies asteroids from Mars surface for the first time

12 hours ago

(Phys.org) —A new image from NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is the first ever from the surface of Mars to show an asteroid, and it shows two: Ceres and Vesta.

Traces of recent water on Mars

13 hours ago

New research has shown that there was liquid water on Mars as recently as 200,000 years ago. The results have been published in Icarus ( International Journal for Solar System Studies). "We have discover ...

Equipped with new sensors, Morpheus preps to tackle landing on its own

13 hours ago

(Phys.org) —A test flight later this week will challenge a set of sensors to map out a 65-yard square of boulder-sized hazards and pick out a safe place to land.

NASA tests Orion's parachute performance over Arizona

13 hours ago

(Phys.org) —The team designing the parachute system for NASA's Orion spacecraft has demonstrated almost every parachute failure they could imagine. But on April 23, they tested how the system would perform ...

User comments : 3

Adjust slider to filter visible comments by rank

Display comments: newest first

5 / 5 (3)7 hours ago

SpaceX didn't bribe the right people I guess.

5 / 5 (2)6 hours ago

SpaceX didn't bribe the right people I guess.

Hey, they're new to dealing with the government...they'll learn....

5 / 5 (1)5 hours ago

I'm guessing that due to the sensitive nature of the typical payload and the NSA's recent experience with private contractors, SpaceX may lack both the necessary clearance and the need to know. Hopefully not. But peaceful ventures are better in the long run, whence the mind always beats the sword (according to Napoleon, anyway).

More news stories

Star is discovered to be a close neighbor of the Sun and the coldest of its kind

(Phys.org) —A "brown dwarf" star that appears to be the coldest of its kind—as frosty as Earth's North Pole—has been discovered by a Penn State University astronomer using NASA's Wide-field Infrared ...

Curiosity spies asteroids from Mars surface for the first time

(Phys.org) —A new image from NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is the first ever from the surface of Mars to show an asteroid, and it shows two: Ceres and Vesta.

NASA tests Orion's parachute performance over Arizona

(Phys.org) —The team designing the parachute system for NASA's Orion spacecraft has demonstrated almost every parachute failure they could imagine. But on April 23, they tested how the system would perform ...

Traces of recent water on Mars

New research has shown that there was liquid water on Mars as recently as 200,000 years ago. The results have been published in Icarus ( International Journal for Solar System Studies). "We have discover ...

Equipped with new sensors, Morpheus preps to tackle landing on its own

(Phys.org) —A test flight later this week will challenge a set of sensors to map out a 65-yard square of boulder-sized hazards and pick out a safe place to land.

US court weighs police use of cellphone tower data

A U.S. appeals court is wrestling with whether law enforcement has the authority to obtain and use records from cellphone towers, in a case that weighs the importance of people's right to privacy in the age of digital technology.

Researchers generate immunity against tumor vessel protein

Sometimes a full-on assault isn't the best approach when dealing with a powerful enemy. A more effective approach, in the long run, may be to target the support system replenishing the supplies that keep your foe strong and ...

Specialized yoga program could help women with urinary incontinence

An ancient form of meditation and exercise could help women who suffer from urinary incontinence, according to a new study from UC San Francisco.

Japan kicks off first whale hunt since UN court ruling

A Japanese whaling fleet is set to leave port Saturday in the first hunt since the UN's top court last month ordered Tokyo to stop killing whales in the Antarctic.

Nissan develops first 'self-cleaning' car prototype (w/ Video)

Washing a car can be a chore – and a costly one at that. In response, Nissan in Europe has begun tests on innovative paint technology that repels mud, rain and everyday dirt, meaning drivers may never have ...

© Phys.org™ 2003-2013, Science X network

CEO and chief designer of SpaceX Elon Musk in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2014

SpaceX on Friday filed suit against the US Air Force for awarding billions of dollars to a single company for national security launches, and said the contracts might even violate sanctions against Russia.

The US military spends billions yearly with United Launch Alliance, a joint operation of aerospace giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin, to launch government satellites.

The Atlas V and Delta IV rockets are powered by Russian engines, which has raised concern among some lawmakers that such reliance is dangerous in a time of escalating tensions over Ukraine.

"This is not right," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk told reporters, describing the policy of "uncompeted procurement" by the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program.

"SpaceX has decided to file suit and protest the Air Force EELV block buy," Musk said.

The process "essentially blocks companies like SpaceX from competing for national security launches," said Musk at a press conference in the US capital.

The suit was filed in the US Court of Federal Claims, he added.

Musk said ULA rockets cost four times the amount of SpaceX's.

"To add insult to the wound, the primary engine is made in Russia," said Musk.

The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft is pictured just prior to being released by the International Space Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm on May 31 to allow it to head toward a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Credit: NASA

"The person who heads Russian space activities is (deputy prime minister) Dmitry Rogozin, who is on the sanctions list. So it seems pretty strange, like, you know, how is it that we are sending hundreds of millions of US taxpayer money at a time when Russia is in the process of invading Ukraine?" Musk asked.

"It would be hard to imagine some way in which Dmitry Rogozin is not benefiting personally from the dollars that are being sent there," he added.

"On the surface of it is seems there is a good probability of some sanctions violation."

An Internet entrepreneur who co-founded PayPal, Musk has gained a high profile in the business world with SpaceX and his electric car company, Tesla.

In 2012, SpaceX's Dragon capsule became the first unmanned spaceship made by a private US company to reach the International Space Station. A version that could carry crew is expected by 2017.

"This is not SpaceX protesting and saying these launches should be awarded to us. We are just protesting and saying these launches should be competed," Musk said.

"If we compete and lose that's fine."

His California-based firm is also working on a novel rocket, called the Falcon 9 reusable, that could return to Earth from a space launch intact and be used again and again for space launches.

The latest test of the rocket showed it was able to land upright with all legs deployed, but SpaceX was unable to retrieve it intact from its ocean landing, due to stormy seas and lack of access to a big enough boat, he said.

Still, Musk said he hoped the next ocean test landing would go more smoothly, since it would splash down closer to land.

If that goes well, he said he was "optimistic" that the reusable rocket's first land-test return could happen at Florida's Cape Canaveral later this year.

Explore further:SpaceX launches second commercial satellite

© 2014 AFP

More from Physics Forums - General Astronomy

Related Stories

SpaceX launches second commercial satellite

Jan 07, 2014

US company SpaceX said Monday it had deployed a commercial Thai satellite, in its second successful launch in weeks.

SpaceX postpones first satellite launch

Nov 29, 2013

Private US company SpaceX postponed the launch of a rocket carrying its first telecommunications satellite on Thursday after two unsuccessful attempts at take-off.

SpaceX's next-generation reusable rocket roars in tie-down test

Apr 02, 2014

As SpaceX pursues its quest of rocket reusability, it recently subjected the first stage of its next generation Falcon 9 rocket (called the Falcon 9-reusable or F9R) to a tie-down test ahead of some more ...

After two delays, SpaceX counts down to satellite launch (Update)

Dec 03, 2013

Private US company SpaceX was Tuesday poised for a third attempt to launch its first commercial satellite, after repairs were made to the Falcon 9 rocket.

SpaceX reschedules space station resupply launch

Apr 04, 2014

A delayed supply run to the International Space Station is now set to launch April 14.

Third time a charm: SpaceX launches commercial satellite (Update 3)

Dec 03, 2013

The private US company SpaceX said it successfully launched on Tuesday its first commercial satellite, designed to provide telecommunications services to China and other Asian countries.

Recommended for you

LADEE sees zodiacal light before crashing into moon, but Apollo mystery remains

11 hours ago

NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) literally 'saw the light' just days before crashing into the lunar farside last Thursday April 17. Skimming just a few kilometers above the ...

First JPSS-1 satellite instrument is ready for installation

12 hours ago

The first of five instruments that will fly on JPSS-1, NOAA's next polar orbiting environmental satellite, successfully completed pre-shipment review last week. The Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System ...

Curiosity spies asteroids from Mars surface for the first time

12 hours ago

(Phys.org) —A new image from NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is the first ever from the surface of Mars to show an asteroid, and it shows two: Ceres and Vesta.

Traces of recent water on Mars

13 hours ago

New research has shown that there was liquid water on Mars as recently as 200,000 years ago. The results have been published in Icarus ( International Journal for Solar System Studies). "We have discover ...

Equipped with new sensors, Morpheus preps to tackle landing on its own

13 hours ago

(Phys.org) —A test flight later this week will challenge a set of sensors to map out a 65-yard square of boulder-sized hazards and pick out a safe place to land.

NASA tests Orion's parachute performance over Arizona

13 hours ago

(Phys.org) —The team designing the parachute system for NASA's Orion spacecraft has demonstrated almost every parachute failure they could imagine. But on April 23, they tested how the system would perform ...

User comments : 3

Adjust slider to filter visible comments by rank

Display comments: newest first

5 / 5 (3)7 hours ago

SpaceX didn't bribe the right people I guess.

5 / 5 (2)6 hours ago

SpaceX didn't bribe the right people I guess.

Hey, they're new to dealing with the government...they'll learn....

5 / 5 (1)5 hours ago

it's rare that I hope my guess is wrong:

I'm guessing that due to the sensitive nature of the typical payload and the NSA's recent experience with private contractors, SpaceX may lack both the necessary clearance and the need to know. Hopefully not. But peaceful ventures are better in the long run, whence the mind always beats the sword (according to Napoleon, anyway).

More news stories

Star is discovered to be a close neighbor of the Sun and the coldest of its kind

(Phys.org) —A "brown dwarf" star that appears to be the coldest of its kind—as frosty as Earth's North Pole—has been discovered by a Penn State University astronomer using NASA's Wide-field Infrared ...

Curiosity spies asteroids from Mars surface for the first time

(Phys.org) —A new image from NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is the first ever from the surface of Mars to show an asteroid, and it shows two: Ceres and Vesta.

NASA tests Orion's parachute performance over Arizona

(Phys.org) —The team designing the parachute system for NASA's Orion spacecraft has demonstrated almost every parachute failure they could imagine. But on April 23, they tested how the system would perform ...

Traces of recent water on Mars

New research has shown that there was liquid water on Mars as recently as 200,000 years ago. The results have been published in Icarus ( International Journal for Solar System Studies). "We have discover ...

Equipped with new sensors, Morpheus preps to tackle landing on its own

(Phys.org) —A test flight later this week will challenge a set of sensors to map out a 65-yard square of boulder-sized hazards and pick out a safe place to land.

US court weighs police use of cellphone tower data

A U.S. appeals court is wrestling with whether law enforcement has the authority to obtain and use records from cellphone towers, in a case that weighs the importance of people's right to privacy in the age of digital technology.

Researchers generate immunity against tumor vessel protein

Sometimes a full-on assault isn't the best approach when dealing with a powerful enemy. A more effective approach, in the long run, may be to target the support system replenishing the supplies that keep your foe strong and ...

Specialized yoga program could help women with urinary incontinence

An ancient form of meditation and exercise could help women who suffer from urinary incontinence, according to a new study from UC San Francisco.

Japan kicks off first whale hunt since UN court ruling

A Japanese whaling fleet is set to leave port Saturday in the first hunt since the UN's top court last month ordered Tokyo to stop killing whales in the Antarctic.

Nissan develops first 'self-cleaning' car prototype (w/ Video)

Washing a car can be a chore – and a costly one at that. In response, Nissan in Europe has begun tests on innovative paint technology that repels mud, rain and everyday dirt, meaning drivers may never have ...

© Phys.org™ 2003-2013, Science X network