Rocket Lab is seeing red about NASA's decision on a Mars spacecraft

Rocket Lab, a private space company, is expressing disappointment and surprise over NASA's decision not to award a contract for a Mars spacecraft to the company. The company claims that NASA's decision seems to contradict the eligibility criteria outlined in the original request for proposals. Rocket Lab had submitted a proposal for the contract, which was expected to be worth up to $142 million. The company's bid was part of the NASA's Commercial Lunar Lander Services (CLPS) program, which aims to send robotic missions to the Moon and eventually Mars. Rocket Lab's disappointment suggests that the company's proposal was strong enough to make it to the final stage of the selection process.