Sierra Nevada Corp.’s Louisville-based Space Systems is asking a federal court in Washington, D.C., to issue an injunction to once again force NASA to stop work on its crewed spacecraft program.
Space Systems filed formal protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office on Sept. 26 after its Dream Chaser bid for NASA’s commercial crew contract was rejected. The contract was split between Boeing Co’s CST-100 capsule and SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.
That filing required NASA to order Boeing and SpaceX to stop work while the bid protest is being investigated.
On Oct. 9, NASA, “under statutory authority available to it,” ordered Boeing and SpaceX to resume work as it “best serves the United States,” according to an issued statement.
Space Systems is leaving the majority of the case with GAO and only seeking the work stoppage through the federal court.
“We still have the case, and we still have it on the merits. But I understand that Sierra Nevada has gone to court seeking an injunction due to the override of the stay,” said Ralph White, GAO’s managing associate general counsel.
The injunction process is typically quite swift. A judge could agree with Space Systems and issue stop-work order. Or, the judge could agree with NASA and work would continue.
However, if the work continues, and the GAO recommendation comes back in favor of Space Systems, there could be some financial entanglements as NASA sorts out contract awards.
GAO still plans to have its final recommendation on the case by no later than Jan. 5.
Laura Keeney: 303-954-1337, lkeeney@denverpost.com or twitter.com/LauraKeeney
