spacetoday.net: Federal judge orders mediation in SpaceX-Air Force suit

Posted: Wed, Jan 14, 2015, 7:47 AM ET (1247 GMT)
A federal judge directed the US Air Force and SpaceX to begin mediation this month regarding an ongoing dispute about the block buy of launches from another company. Judge Susan Braden denied a motion from United Launch Alliance (ULA) to dismiss a lawsuit SpaceX filed in April about the Air Force block buy of launches from ULA. Instead, the judge said SpaceX and the Air Force would begin mediation about the dispute later this month. SpaceX, in its original suit, argued that the Air Force contract with ULA unfairly locked it out of competing for a number of future launches it would otherwise be eligible to perform. The Air Force argued that the block buy contract was legal and saved the government money, and that SpaceX was not yet certified to perform the missions included in the deal.