Federal Research: Concerns About the Superconducting Super Collider

GAO discussed the Department of Energy's (DOE) Superconducting Super Collider (SSC). GAO noted that: (1) DOE has made considerable progress on the development of the superconducting magnets, but more work is needed before industry can mass-produce the magnets; (2) the potential impact of cost and schedule changes is unknown because DOE does not have an integrated management system in place to monitor SSC cost and schedule performance; (3) the U.S. share of the project cost could increase if DOE does not obtain the contributions it is seeking from foreign sources; (4) the U.S. government will need to fund SSC operations at an estimated cost of $380 million a year, after SSC construction is completed in fiscal year 1999; and (5) the short-term benefits to the U.S. economy will be diminished as a result of foreign participation in the building of the SSC.