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GAO-06-817R 1 (2006-07-17)

handle is hein.gao/gaocrptatqh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: S=GAO Accountability * Integrity * Reliability United States Government Accountability Office Washington, DC 20548 July 17, 2006 The Honorable Sherwood Boehlert Chairman The Honorable Bart Gordon Ranking Minority Member Committee on Science House of Representatives Subject: NASA: Long-Term Commitment to and Investment in Space Exploration Program Requires More Knowledge The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to spend nearly $230 billion over the next two decades implementing the Vision for Space Exploration. In January 2006, NASA publicly released its Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS), which is an effort to identify the best architecture and strategy to implement the President's 2004 Vision for Space Exploration (Vision).' The cost estimate for implementing the ESAS through fiscal year 2011 exceeds $31 billion. The estimate through fiscal year 2018 is over $122 billion, and the estimate through fiscal year 2025 is nearly $230 billion.2 These estimates include the architecture, robotic precursor missions, supporting technologies, and funding needed to service the International Space Station (ISS).3 NASA plans to implement this architecture through a go as you can afford to pay approach, wherein lower-priority efforts would be deferred, descoped, or discontinued to allow NASA to stay within its available budget profile. This approach assumes NASA's budget will increase moderately to keep pace with inflation. Given the long-term fiscal imbalances that will challenge the entire federal government now and in the future, it would be prudent for NASA to establish a program that reduces the risk that significant additional funding, beyond moderate increases for inflation, will be required to execute the program.4 Government leaders will have to make difficult 'The ESAS architecture supports the development of a new Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV), a Cargo Launch Vehicle (CaLV), and other supporting systems. The architecture also calls for various Research and Technology (R&T) and Robotic Lunar Exploration Program (RLEP) projects. 2 All cost estimates related to the Vision are reported as inflated (real year) dollars. 3 NASA's cost estimate through 2011-$31.2 billion-included the costs of the R&T and RLEP projects needed to support the architecture. Its estimate for the first lunar landing-$104 billion-did not include $18 billion in funding for R&T and RLEP projects. To ensure consistency, the estimates for 2018 and 2025 are presented with R&T and RLEP funding included. 4 GAO, 21st Century Challenges: Reexamining the Base of the Federal Government, GAO-05-325SP (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 2005); 21st Century: Addressing Long-Temn Fiscal Challenges Must Include a Reexamination of Mandatory Spending, GAO-06-456T (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 15, 2006); and GAO-06-817R Exploration Cost and Schedule Page I