Jeff Bezos, as well as controlling Amazon, is also backing the Blue Origin recoverable rocket launch system. The Pentagon is expected to award massive contracts to take US national security satellites into space.

In a filing with the Government Accountability Office, Blue Origin claimed that the US Air Force is “pursuing a flawed acquisition strategy” that discriminates against new bidders and limits competition.

The filing also follows on from similar actions started by SpaceX in 2014 which resulted in the Elon Musk-backed rocket business winning a slice of launch contracts on offer, and helping drive prices per launch down.

Blue Origin, in a Fact Sheet given to journalists, stated: “Unless the Air Force changes its approach, this procurement will perpetuate a market duopoly in national security space launch well into the next decade, causing higher launch prices, less assured access to space and a missed opportunity to expand our national security interests and bolster US leadership in space.”

Blue Origin isn’t the only company challenging the Air Force. Earlier this year, SpaceX filed a protest after it was left out of the initial round of funding the Air Force awarded to help companies develop their rockets. That lawsuit, filed in the Court of Federal Claims, is ongoing, according to the Washington Post.

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