Skip to main content

Space

Jump To:

Recent Reports

View More Reports

Open Recommendations

Missile Warning Satellites: Space Development Agency Should Be More Realistic and Transparent About Risks to Capability Delivery
GAO-26-107085
Jan 28, 2026
Show
6 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that the Space Development Agency conducts and documents a tailored technology readiness assessment for new critical technology elements inserted in each future tranche, starting with tranche 3. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that the Space Development Agency is following the process reflected in the Warfighter Council charter to collaboratively, with warfighter participants, identify, define, and prioritize requirements, and present regular opportunities for interactive feedback and warfighter response. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that the Space Development Agency develops a prioritized backlog to maintain traceability between overall mission warning and mission tracking requirements and tranche development efforts. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that the Space Development Agency develops and maintains an architecture-level networked schedule for Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture that reflects both government and contractor activities. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that the Space Development Agency requires contractors to provide Cost and Software Data Reporting in awarded contracts. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that the Space Development Agency develops and establishes reliable, data-driven cost estimates and a process for regularly updating these estimates that supports cost-informed decision-making beginning with tranche 3. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

NASA Artemis Missions: Exploration Ground Systems Program Could Strengthen Schedule Decisions
GAO-25-106943
Oct 17, 2024
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The NASA Administrator, in coordination with the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, should ensure that Exploration Ground Systems program and Mobile Launcher 2 project officials perform at least one schedule risk analysis prior to beginning integrated operation activities to support the Artemis IV launch. (Recommendation 1)
Open
NASA partially concurred with this recommendation stating that instead of conducting a schedule risk analysis (SRA), the agency planned to monitor schedule risk using other tools. In September 2025, NASA officials said they do not currently have plans to do an SRA for the ML2 project, or for the EGS program or Artemis IV mission overall, which would include the ML2 project. They said NASA is in the process of evaluating Artemis missions and their associated content, and as a result, an SRA does not make sense at this time.

NASA Lunar Programs: Significant Work Remains, Underscoring Challenges to Achieving Moon Landing in 2024
GAO-21-330
May 26, 2021
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The NASA Administrator, in coordination with the Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, should ensure the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) project office includes relevant development costs from the Resource Prospector project and the cost of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order for the delivery of VIPER to the lunar surface into its cost baseline. (Recommendation 1)
Open
NASA did not agree with this recommendation stating it did not include development costs for the Resource Prospector project in the baseline because VIPER's mission was significantly different, its design is much more capable, and a different mission directorate funded the project. In addition, NASA stated that it chose not to include the Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order costs in the VIPER project's cost baseline because the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative differs from other launch services procured for NASA missions. In July 2024, NASA notified Congress of its plans to cancel the VIPER project due to cost growth and that the agency planned to close out the project in April 2025. We will monitor the agency's plans to close out the project. To the extent that our recommendation remains implementable, we continue to believe that the relevant costs incurred for the VIPER project's development under the Resource Prospector project are important because they provide visibility into the total cost of developing the rover and some of its instruments. Further, the cost of Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order to deliver VIPER to the Moon is a key cost of the project's life cycle, even if the project is not responsible for managing the task order.

Commercial Space Transportation: FAA Should Examine a Range of Options to Support U.S. Launch Infrastructure
GAO-21-154
Dec 22, 2020
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Commercial Space Transportation We recommend that the Associate Administrator for AST provide Congress the results of an examination of a range of options—including funding and financing tools, as well as alternatives to making funding available—to support space transportation infrastructure. This examination should include a discussion of trade-offs and whether and how, if at all, each approach would contribute to national policy goals. (Recommendation 1)
Open
In September 2025, AST updated GAO on its efforts related to space transportation infrastructure needs. The National Spaceport Interagency Working Group completed a draft report that includes recommendations developed with input and support from industry. Working group members briefed their agency's leadership on the report in preparation for next steps. Additionally, the updated National Spaceports Policy congressional report must be submitted to OMB for review before being finalized and submitted to Congress. FAA is also coordinating across several agencies on the report. AST plans to complete its work by March 31, 2026. GAO will continue to monitor AST's actions in this area.
View More Recommendations

Related Pages

GAO Contacts

Multimedia

Podcasts

Our 2025 Assessment of NASA's Major Projects
Transcript
As NASA Plans Its Return to the Moon, Greater Visibility Into Spending Could Help Address Cost Concern
Transcript
After Delayed Artemis 1 Launch, What’s Next for NASA’s Lunar Program
Transcript