SpaceX wins delay in Boeing-Lockheed rocket deal

Billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX on Thursday won a court order temporarily blocking a joint venture backed by Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. from buying Russian-made rocket engines for the Air Force because it might violate sanctions against Russia.

U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Susan Braden in Washington halted the engine sales until she receives the opinion of the U.S. departments of Treasury, Commerce and State, Bloomberg reports.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the Air Force contract awarded to a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin to supply 36 rocket cores to send national security equipment into space.

Musk said his company could save the Air Force and taxpayers $300 million per launch, The Associated Press reports.

The joint venture notes its rocket is the only one certified for the Air Force missions and “disciplined” oversight has helped save the program $4 billion.