Space Station: Russian Commitment and Cost Control Problems
NSIAD-99-175
Published: Aug 17, 1999. Publicly Released: Aug 27, 1999.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the status of Russian involvement in the International Space Station (ISS) program, focusing on: (1) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) progress in developing contingency plans to mitigate the possibility of Russian nonperformance and the loss or delay of other critical components; (2) NASA's efforts to ensure that Russian quality assurance processes meet the station's safety requirements; and (3) the effectiveness of cost control efforts regarding the prime contract and nonprime activities.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | To minimize the potential of further schedule disruptions and related cost increases, the Administrator, NASA, should direct the station program manager to finalize the overall ISS contingency plan before the Service Module is launched. |
Closed – Implemented
NASA developed an overall ISS contingency plan, but it is still awaiting full approval from the partners. Since the recommendation was tied to the Service Module launch and that component has been launched and is now assembled on-orbit, NASA can no longer comply with the recommendation as written.
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Topics
Aerospace contractsCost analysisCost controlCost overrunsFuture budget projectionsInternational relationsPrime contractorsSchedule slippagesSpace explorationStrategic planningContingency plans