Skip to main content

Space

Jump To:

Recent Reports

View More Reports

Open Recommendations

NASA Artemis Missions: Exploration Ground Systems Program Could Strengthen Schedule Decisions
GAO-25-106943
Oct 17, 2024
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The NASA Administrator, in coordination with the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, should ensure that Exploration Ground Systems program and Mobile Launcher 2 project officials perform at least one schedule risk analysis prior to beginning integrated operation activities to support the Artemis IV launch. (Recommendation 1)
Open
NASA partially concurred with this recommendation stating that instead of conducting a schedule risk analysis (SRA), the agency planned to monitor schedule risk using other tools. In September 2025, NASA officials said they do not currently have plans to do an SRA for the ML2 project, or for the EGS program or Artemis IV mission overall, which would include the ML2 project. They said NASA is in the process of evaluating Artemis missions and their associated content, and as a result, an SRA does not make sense at this time.

NASA Lunar Programs: Significant Work Remains, Underscoring Challenges to Achieving Moon Landing in 2024
GAO-21-330
May 26, 2021
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The NASA Administrator, in coordination with the Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, should ensure the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) project office includes relevant development costs from the Resource Prospector project and the cost of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order for the delivery of VIPER to the lunar surface into its cost baseline. (Recommendation 1)
Open
NASA did not agree with this recommendation stating it did not include development costs for the Resource Prospector project in the baseline because VIPER's mission was significantly different, its design is much more capable, and a different mission directorate funded the project. In addition, NASA stated that it chose not to include the Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order costs in the VIPER project's cost baseline because the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative differs from other launch services procured for NASA missions. In July 2024, NASA notified Congress of its plans to cancel the VIPER project due to cost growth and that the agency planned to close out the project in April 2025. We will monitor the agency's plans to close out the project. To the extent that our recommendation remains implementable, we continue to believe that the relevant costs incurred for the VIPER project's development under the Resource Prospector project are important because they provide visibility into the total cost of developing the rover and some of its instruments. Further, the cost of Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order to deliver VIPER to the Moon is a key cost of the project's life cycle, even if the project is not responsible for managing the task order.

Commercial Space Transportation: FAA Should Examine a Range of Options to Support U.S. Launch Infrastructure
GAO-21-154
Dec 22, 2020
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Commercial Space Transportation We recommend that the Associate Administrator for AST provide Congress the results of an examination of a range of options—including funding and financing tools, as well as alternatives to making funding available—to support space transportation infrastructure. This examination should include a discussion of trade-offs and whether and how, if at all, each approach would contribute to national policy goals. (Recommendation 1)
Open
In September 2025, AST updated GAO on its efforts related to space transportation infrastructure needs. The National Spaceport Interagency Working Group completed a draft report that includes recommendations developed with input and support from industry. Working group members briefed their agency's leadership on the report in preparation for next steps. Additionally, the updated National Spaceports Policy congressional report must be submitted to OMB for review before being finalized and submitted to Congress. FAA is also coordinating across several agencies on the report. AST plans to complete its work by March 31, 2026. GAO will continue to monitor AST's actions in this area.

NASA Lunar Programs: Opportunities Exist to Strengthen Analyses and Plans for Moon Landing
GAO-20-68
Dec 19, 2019
Show
2 Open Recommendations
1 Priority
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The NASA Administrator should ensure that the NASA Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations directs the Gateway program to update its overall schedule for 2024 to add a KDP II to occur before system integration. (Recommendation 3)
Open
NASA agreed with this recommendation, but has not yet taken action on it. NASA officials said that as of August 2025, they had not yet decided whether the program will hold a Key Decision Point (KDP) II because they are waiting for direction on the program's budget. The president's fiscal year 2026 budget request cancelled the Gateway program. However, in July 2025, Congress appropriated funding for the program to be obligated in fiscal years 2026-2028 in Public Law 119-21. Officials said that pending budget direction, they would review the status of a potential KDP II in 2026.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Priority Rec.
The NASA Administrator should ensure that the NASA Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations creates a life-cycle cost estimate for the Artemis III mission. (Recommendation 4)
Open
NASA agreed with the recommendation. Officials stated that NASA would provide a preliminary cost estimate for the Artemis III mission by the end of calendar year 2020. However, NASA has not yet created this cost estimate. The officials stated that the agency would establish cost and schedule commitments for projects but not the overall mission. For example, in December 2023, NASA established cost and schedule commitments for the human landing system that will be used for the Artemis III mission. In February 2025, NASA told us that the agency has implemented a range of management and reporting tools to ensure transparency and accountability at the mission level for all stakeholders but that imposing a flight-by-flight cost assessment as a benchmark on individual Artemis missions could potentially hinder the success, innovation, and long-term sustainability of space missions. To fully implement this recommendation, NASA needs to develop a life-cycle cost estimate for the Artemis III lunar landing mission as a whole. Project cost commitments do not necessarily include the scope of work required for the Artemis III mission. For example, the Space Launch System baseline commitment included a cost estimate only for the Artemis I mission. As a result, there is no comprehensive Artemis III life-cycle cost estimate. Without an overall cost estimate for the Artemis III mission, decision makers have limited cost information to inform decisions on the overall lunar investment.
View More Recommendations

Related Pages

GAO Contacts

Multimedia

Podcasts

Our 2025 Assessment of NASA's Major Projects
Transcript
As NASA Plans Its Return to the Moon, Greater Visibility Into Spending Could Help Address Cost Concern
Transcript
After Delayed Artemis 1 Launch, What’s Next for NASA’s Lunar Program
Transcript