NASA Report Reveals SLS Rocket Program Too Costly to Support Artemis Moon Plans

NASA admits its SLS rocket program is too expensive to support Artemis lunar missions
GAO report says NASA lacks transparency on true costs of SLS program
NASA has not regularly updated 5-year production cost estimates for SLS
GAO cites concerns about development costs of SLS hardware like Exploration Upper Stage
NASA cost estimates don't account for delays to Artemis missions
NASA officials say SLS costs are unsustainable and exceed what's available for Artemis

slashdot.org

Relevant topic timeline:

9/7/2023

NASA Faces Mounting Pressure to Reduce Costs and Increase Transparency of Troubled SLS Rocket Program

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has reported that NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket program is unsustainable at its current cost levels and lacks transparency in reporting its true costs, especially regarding production costs and delays to Artemis missions. NASA officials acknowledge the need to improve affordability but have not yet set specific cost-saving goals. Additionally, the cost of the SLS rocket's main engines is still considerably high compared to engines produced by commercial companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX.