Axiom Space has moved federal court and invoked the False Claims Act, alleging that Vast copied its Mission Integration and Operations Management Plan (MIOMP).
Axiom Space has sued its rival company Vast Space over what is an alleged reproduction of its work, according to a report by Ars Technica. The lawsuit revolves around Private Astronaut Missions (PAM)—a NASA program that has allowed private companies to visit the International Space Station since 2019. Axiom Space moved federal court and invoked the False Claims Act, alleging that Vast copied its Mission Integration and Operations Management Plan (MIOMP). This document, which the lawsuit describes as essentially containing the "roadmap for the entire mission," is a contractual obligation and is subject to NASA's approval. In response to the allegation, Vast CEO Max Haot took to X, sharing a clarification on behalf of the company: "Vast did not take anything from Axiom, and any suggestion otherwise is false."
A key clarification from @vast: The Mission Integration and Operations Management Plan was provided to Vast in the normal course of business by a subcontractor that supplies services to Vast and Axiom, using standard documentation adapted from prior missions, as is common practice for NASA private astronaut missions. The version provided to Vast included material carried over from an earlier Axiom mission. Within a day of submitting the document to NASA, Vast proactively informed NASA that the document needed...
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