Could Contractor Protests Stall NASA's HLV?
NASA Wary of Bid Protests in Developing Heavy-lift Approach, Space News
“However, if NASA chooses to leverage this hardware under existing contracts for the heavy-lift rocket, as directed in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, it could face a challenge from companies that are not currently in the mix. Propulsion provider Aerojet of Sacramento, Calif., for example, has made clear its desire for a competition to build elements of the Space Launch System. “We need to pick a path where we have mitigated the possibility for a protest to the degree we can,” Cooke said in an April 26 interview. “And no matter what path you take there is always that possibility. You can always get a protest.”