Catastrophic cost overruns - NASA to pay $13.1 billion instead of $7 billion for SLS rocket engines and boosters for Artemis lunar program

RS-25 engines from the Space Shuttle and Constellation projects did not help the National Aeronautics Administration and

Space Research (NASA) to save money on the Artemis lunar program. A federal agency inspector documented catastrophic cost overruns.

What is known

Manufacturers of engines for the lunar programArtemis are Aerojet Rocketdyne and Northrop Grumman. The space department constantly turned a blind eye to the rising cost of power plants and the shift in their readiness. This resulted in a huge cost overrun.

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NASA signed four production contractsengines for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The amount of the agreement was $7 billion, and the implementation period was 14 years. However, according to the new forecast, the contract will be completed only after a quarter of a century, and its value will increase to $13.1 billion.

According to the NASA inspector, the space agency must take measures to protect budget funds. Otherwise, costs will continue to increase, while deadlines will continue to shift.

On the other hand, NASA states that there is insufficientfunding, which negatively affects the development of the Artemis program. In particular, the space department will receive $41.5 billion from 2024 to 2028 fiscal years.

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The second Artemis mission will take place at the endnext year. Four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft will orbit the Moon and return to Earth. The landing is planned for 2025, but there is no guarantee that the Artemis III mission will take place on time.