13 years and $500 million for a stage adapter? Report justifies NASA cancellations.
Summary
NASA has canceled several costly and delayed projects related to its Artemis Moon program, including an upgraded rocket stage, a stage adapter, a launch tower, and a lunar habitat module. A government report found these projects had doubled in cost and faced years of delays, supporting NASA’s decision to shift focus to a lunar surface base instead.Key Facts
- NASA stopped work on the Exploration Upper Stage, Universal Stage Adapter, Mobile Launcher 2, and Lunar Gateway habitat.
- Combined contract costs rose from about $2.8 billion to nearly $5.9 billion over more than ten years.
- Project delivery dates were pushed back as much as seven years.
- The Universal Stage Adapter, a relatively simple component, grew from a $131 million contract to a projected $497 million cost.
- The delivery date for the Universal Stage Adapter was delayed to 2030.
- NASA’s Human Spaceflight chief said cost growth and delays justified canceling these programs.
- NASA is refocusing efforts to build a base on the Moon’s surface rather than in orbit.
- The canceled components were part of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Artemis mission hardware.
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