Space Station: Plans to Expand Research Community Do Not Match Available Resources

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) efforts to develop a robust life and microgravity sciences research community for the space station, focusing on: (1) what NASA is doing to assess the required size of the research community needed for the space station and to ensure that such a community will be available; (2) how NASA will ensure that the research selected for the space station will be the best possible; and (3) whether the recently cancelled shuttle research flight adversely affected NASA efforts to develop a research community for the space station.