OIG Report on SLS/Orion Ground Systems
NASA’s Launch Support and Infrastructure Modernization: Assessment of the Ground Systems Needed to Launch SLS and Orion
“In order to decrease the risk that the GSDO Program will experience cost increases or schedule delays, we recommended the Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations reevaluate allowing GSDO to complete Critical Design Review before the SLS and Orion Programs. In response to a draft of our report, NASA management concurred with our recommendation … However, NASA management noted a risk that the dates planned for SLS and Orion could slip and the GSDO review occur first. Accordingly, NASA should closely monitor the Programs to ensure any such risk is mitigated so as to avoid significant cost increases or schedule delays.”
Robert LeBranche never believed me – told you. Neither did Chris Shank but that won’t stop them from wasting billions to save job$.
Just sit back, get your popcorn, and watch the house staffers contort themselves to try and answer the questions.
The report authors miss an important point, perhaps being IG, whereas the teams at GAO may have picked up on this one? That is, the ground systems effort is already in place and mostly a fixed cost going forward. Any delay now, such as waiting because it makes sense to finish the flight element design reviews first, will by necessity increase the development portion of ground systems costs. The contractors are not going anywhere, as they wait on the flight systems. Think of it this way, that if there is a year delay the budget table adds another year for the ground systems development budget at about the same burn rate it was till then, about another $400M. Not to say the money won’t go towards getting things improved, refined, fixed, and “more” ready, just that the bigger financial picture has to be kept in mind.
Well stated, however SpaceX is building an equally capable site for an LV of similar capacities, including human launch, right next door at LC-39A for a small fraction of the cost. For its own good NASA needs to understand why their path is so much more expensive. The OIG report does not consider this issue.