Rocket Lab has filed a protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office challenging NASA’s award of a firm-fixed-price contract worth up to $700 million to Blue Origin for the Mars Telecommunications Network. The company alleges the selection violated congressional eligibility requirements and that NASA subjected its technical proposal to an unfair review. The contract covers the design, development, integration, launch and operation of a Mars Telecommunications Orbiter, with delivery required by Dec. 31, 2028, and operations at Mars expected by the end of 2030. Congress appropriated the funding in July 2025, requiring eligible bidders to be U.S. commercial providers that received NASA funding in fiscal 2024 or 2025 for a commercial Mars Sample Return study and proposed a separately launched telecommunications orbiter. Rocket Lab says its proposal met those conditions through a dedicated communications spacecraft, while NASA has not publicly released the competing proposals or detailed its eligibility assessment. The company’s proposed Explorer-based spacecraft included optical communications, an aerosynchronous orbit and vertically integrated components. Blue Origin’s selected design is based on its Blue Ring platform. The initial network will consist of one orbiter supporting communications and navigation for robotic missions, potential Mars Sample Return efforts and future human exploration. The GAO process typically takes up to 100 days and could require NASA to reevaluate proposals or reopen the competition. Rocket Lab shares closed 2% higher at $62.95 on Friday but fell 2% for the week, while earlier premarket data cited a 3.26% decline to $60.90 and a potential support level near $57.50.