GAO Denies Blue Origin Protest Over LC -39A Leasing

The following is a statement from Ralph O. White, Managing Associate General Counsel for Procurement Law at GAO, regarding today’s decision resolving a protest filed by Blue Origin, LLC, B-408823, December 12, 2013.
On Thursday December 12, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) denied a protest filed by Blue Origin, LLC, of Kent, Washington, challenging NASA’s stated interpretation of an announcement for proposals (AFP) for the lease of Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Blue Origin maintained in its protest that the AFP provided for a preference in favor of a multi-user (as opposed to an exclusive use) approach to utilizing the launch pad. NASA took the position that neither approach was favored by the AFP. GAO agreed with NASA, and in its decision concluded that there was no preference for either approach, and that the AFP merely requires different information depending upon which approach is being offered.

The GAO decision takes no position on the relative merits of the proposals that have been submitted to NASA. NASA currently is in the process of evaluating proposals submitted by Blue Origin and Space exploration Technologies Corporation, and the agency has, as yet, reached no conclusions.

The decision has been issued and is publically available here: B-4088223

For more information, please contact Ralph O. White at 202-512-8278.

GAO Decision on Blue Origin Protest Over LC -39A

– Congress Voices Support for NASA LC 39-A Leasing, earlier post
– SpaceX Statement on Shared Use of LC-39A (Update), earlier post
– New Uses For Launch Pad 39A: Threatening The Status Quo, earlier post