NASA: Significant Challenges Remain for Access, Use, and Sustainment of the International Space Station

What GAO Found

NASA plans to use international partner and new domestic commercial launch vehicles to access, utilize, and sustain the International Space Station from 2012 through 2020. However, the agency faces challenges in transporting cargo and crew to the ISS as well as ensuring the station is fully utilized. NASA’s decision to rely on the new commercial vehicles to transport cargo starting in 2012 and to transport crew starting in 2017 is inherently risky because the vehicles are not yet proven and are experiencing delays in development. Further, NASA does not have agreements in place for international partners to provide cargo services to the ISS beyond 2016. The agency will also face a decision regarding the need to purchase additional seats on the Russian Soyuz vehicle beyond 2016, likely before commercial vehicles have made significant progress in development, given the three-year lead time necessary for acquiring a seat. This decision is further complicated because restrictions prohibit NASA from making certain payments to Russia in connection with the ISS unless the President makes a determination. Further, NASA currently expects to transport all cargo needed by the ISS in 51 flights through 2020, but if international partner agreements and commercial service contracts do not materialize as the agency plans for the years beyond 2016, the situation could lead to a potential cargo shortfall.

If NASA can access the station, it will next be challenged with fully utilizing the ISS national laboratory for its intended purpose—scientific research. To take steps to meet this challenge and consistent with a 2009 GAO recommendation, in 2011 NASA selected an organization to centrally oversee ISS national laboratory research decision-making. It is too soon, however, to determine whether this organization is ensuring full scientific utilization of the ISS. Regardless of the efforts of the management body, as GAO noted in a 2009 report, constraints on crew time for conducting science could also impact full utilization.

If NASA can overcome its challenges related to accessing the station, it has reasonable approaches in place for estimating spare parts and assessing the structural health of the space station. These approaches provide NASA with increased assurance that the agency will have sufficient spares and will put mitigations in place to effectively and safely utilize the space station.