Space Launch System: cost transparency needed to monitor program affordability : report to congressional committees / United States Government Accountability Office.
Publication Info.
Washington, DC : United States Government Accountability Office, 2023.
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Description
1 online resource (i, 17 pages) : color illustrations
text txt rdacontent
computer c rdamedia
online resource cr rdacarrier
Note
"September 2023."
"GAO-23-105609."
In scope of the U.S. Government Publishing Office Catalog and Indexing Program (C&I) and Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP).
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references.
Contents
Background -- NASA does not plan to measure production costs for SLS program -- NASA is taking steps to improve affordability, but it is too early to assess their effect on future costs -- Agency comments -- Appendix.
Summary
The SLS is the world's most powerful rocket and will enable NASA to return humans to the moon. NASA requested $11.2 billion in the fiscal year 2024 president's budget request to fund the program through fiscal year 2028, in addition to the $11.8 billion spent developing the initial capability. In November 2022, NASA successfully demonstrated SLS Block 1 during its Artemis I flight test. NASA intends to fly a series of increasingly difficult missions, including Artemis II--a crewed test flight--and Artemis III--a crewed lunar landing. GAO's April 2023 high-risk report noted that NASA needed to improve transparency into the long-term costs and affordability of human spaceflight programs, including by establishing cost and schedule baselines for additional SLS capabilities. . GAO assessed the extent to which (1) NASA has established plans to measure the SLS program costs post-Artemis I, and (2) the program has made progress with its plans to reduce projected SLS costs. GAO has made three past recommendations in this area--two of which GAO considers priority recommendations.
Note
Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (GAO, viewed September 10, 2023).
