US Court of Federal Claims Judge Susan Braden in Washington reported blocked the purchase of Russian-made rocket engines by a Boeing Co-Lockheed Martin Corp venture. The order was requested by billionaire Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corp, which claimed that the transactions violate federal sanctions, Bloomberg said. Braden added that she would have to wait for the opinion of the US departments of Treasury, Commerce and State to determine if such purchases or payments could directly or indirectly violate the March 16 sanctions imposed by US President Barack Obama against Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. The news agency noted that Rogozin heads the Russian defense and space industries.
Musk have said that the competition for military satellite launches, which are touted to be the fourth-largest program in the defense budget at an estimated value of $70 billion through 2030, will save taxpayer money by over a billion dollars annually. On April 28, Musk's SpaceX had accused the US Air Force in a lawsuit of illegally shutting out the company from the business by allowing the Boeing-Lockheed venture, known as United Launch Alliance LLC, to monopolize the market.
When Bloomberg sought the comment from the Air Force regarding the latest court decision, an Air Force representative did not respond to the news agency's email to its media center before business hours today.
In a statement released also today, ULA general counsel Kevin MacGary said, "ULA is deeply concerned with this ruling and we will work closely with the Department of Justice to resolve the injunction expeditiously. (SpaceX's objection to Russian involvement) ignores the potential implications to our national security and our nation's ability to put Americans on board the International Space Station. (The alliance will continue) assuring the safe delivery of the missions we are honored to support."
Bloomberg said Rogozin acknowledges the dependency of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on its Russian Soyuz rockets. The said rockets are being used by NASA to get its astronauts to the International Space Station after ending its shuttle program in 2011.
In a tweet, Rogozin said, "I suggest the U.S. delivers its astronauts to the ISS with a trampoline."
