Space Station:
NASA Efforts To Establish a Design-To-Life-Cycle Cost Process
NSIAD-88-147: Published: May 5, 1988. Publicly Released: May 5, 1988.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
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In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) implementation of cost control measures for space station operations.
GAO found that NASA: (1) reviewed its efforts to establish a programwide design-to-life-cycle policy after an inconclusive attempt in 1986; (2) was considering a draft directive to help establish a management system to assess design proposals' life-cycle cost impacts under current budget constraints; and (3) did not establish operations cost benchmarks and objectives during the program's definition phase or a reporting system to track progress against those objectives. GAO also found that NASA: (1) expected to use contract award fees as incentives to control life-cycle costs, but needed to develop criteria on which to base the awards; (2) did not establish a dedicated reserve fund because it believed that would encourage contractors to initially withhold life-cycle cost-reduction concepts and request reserve funds to support such ideas; (3) developed an operations concept and operations cost-estimating model to improve its cost-estimating capability; and (4) expected to complete its new policy and procedures after mid-1988 and to begin the bulk of the station's design and development after 1989.
Dec 22, 2020
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Commercial Space Transportation:
FAA Should Examine a Range of Options to Support U.S. Launch InfrastructureGAO-21-154: Published: Dec 22, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 22, 2020.
Dec 15, 2020
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NASA Human Space Exploration:
Significant Investments in Future Capabilities Require Strengthened Management OversightGAO-21-105: Published: Dec 15, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 15, 2020.
Apr 30, 2020
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Priority Open Recommendations:
National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationGAO-20-526PR: Published: Apr 23, 2020. Publicly Released: Apr 30, 2020.
Apr 29, 2020
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NASA:
Assessments of Major ProjectsGAO-20-405: Published: Apr 29, 2020. Publicly Released: Apr 29, 2020.
Jan 29, 2020
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NASA Commercial Crew Program:
Significant Work Remains to Begin Operational Missions to the Space StationGAO-20-121: Published: Jan 29, 2020. Publicly Released: Jan 29, 2020.
Jan 28, 2020
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James Webb Space Telescope:
Technical Challenges Have Caused Schedule Strain and May Increase CostsGAO-20-224: Published: Jan 28, 2020. Publicly Released: Jan 28, 2020.
Dec 19, 2019
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NASA Lunar Programs:
Opportunities Exist to Strengthen Analyses and Plans for Moon LandingGAO-20-68: Published: Dec 19, 2019. Publicly Released: Dec 19, 2019.
Sep 18, 2019
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NASA:
Actions Needed to Improve the Management of Human Spaceflight ProgramsGAO-19-716T: Published: Sep 18, 2019. Publicly Released: Sep 18, 2019.
Jun 20, 2019
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NASA Commercial Crew Program:
Schedule Uncertainty Persists for Start of Operational Missions to the International Space StationGAO-19-504: Published: Jun 20, 2019. Publicly Released: Jun 20, 2019.
Jun 19, 2019
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NASA Human Space Exploration:
Persistent Delays and Cost Growth Reinforce Concerns over Management of ProgramsGAO-19-377: Published: Jun 19, 2019. Publicly Released: Jun 19, 2019.
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