Congressional Subcommittee Grills NASA on Skyrocketing Project Cost Overruns

The US Government Accountability Office releaseda scathing reportin May claiming that NASA ’s most expensive project have “ deteriorated ” importantly in the preceding year both in terms of added costs and scheduling delay . Earlier today , NASA had to explain itself in front of a Congressional subcommittee , where it admitted that ripe outer space engineering do n’t follow soft — particularly when Congress mother in the elbow room .

The purpose of today ’s hearing , organize by theCommittee on Science , Space , and Technology , was to figure out where NASA is lacking in its ability to plan and put to death major undertaking , and to find ways of preventing dramatic increases in cost and programing . Indeed , as the May 1 , 2018 Government Accountability Office ( GAO ) report register , things have gotten a mo out of control .

The average delay for NASA ’s biggest projects is now at 12 months , which is the highest delay the GAO has seen in the 10 years it ’s been bring out these reports on NASA . Costs overruns increase to 18.8 pct , up from 15.6 percent in 2017 . But the GAO could n’t put up an precise appraisal of these cost growths because NASA has n’t been able to provide a cost estimate for theOrion gang vehicle , a projection that account for 22 percent of the overall authority budget , hence the equivocal , hazy area for 2018 in the graph below .

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

NASA ’s budgetary overruns are n’t nearly as spoilt as they were from 2012 to 2014 , as the graphical record record , but the recent uptick has the government distressed .

The GAO write up spotlight four specific undertaking as being the principal culprits , namely theSpace Launch System ( SLS),Exploration Ground Systems , theMars 2020 programme , andSpace internet Ground Segment Sustainment ( SGSS ) , which have collectively experienced $ 638 million in cost growth and 59 months in aggregate docket hold . These four projection “ encountered technical issues that were compounded by risky program management decisions , ” according to the report . Other projects , like the perpetually detain James Webb Telescope project , have been mutilate by complex technological problems and pitiful workmanship ( Northrop Grumman , we’re looking at you ) . The GAO identified nine out of 17 projects as having live “ carrying into action worsening , ” both in regard to contribute toll and postponement .

The GAO is expecting big cost and schedule overrun in the future , as NASA is embarking on several new task , and as other expensive projects are taking longer than expected to roll out . Today ’s auditory modality , held at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington , D.C. , had an contribute sensory faculty of urgency given that NASA is planning to empower about $ 61 billion over the sprightliness round of its current 26 major projects , all of which have a life sentence - cycle cost of over $ 250 million .

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“ functioning has worsened after years of following a general cocksure drift , ” testified Cristina T. Chaplain , the director of Contracting and National Security Acquisitions at GAO , at the audience . The grounds , she say , had to do with “ risky direction decisions , unforeseen technical challenges — some avertable and some not — and craftsmanship wrongdoing . ” The technical hurdle race currently being encountered with the James Webb Telescope , she said , should have been anticipate and budget for years ago . Chaplain also point the finger at Congress , saying “ human spacefaring projects should not be hunt with low cost backlog . ” She agreed that NASA is unequalled in that it ’s constantly having to advertize blank tech forward , but she said the space agency needs to take the right steps to ensure toll overruns do n’t overpower its intact portfolio of task .

Stephen Jurczyk , associate executive of NASA , told the subcommittee members that the space government agency works in an industry that necessitate considerable risk , state NASA has to “ place these risk of exposure as soon as potential , and take legal action pronto . ” He enunciate NASA has already take over step and protocol to ensure that budget and timelines are kept , include JCL , orJoint Confidence Level , a system that helps to estimate costs in the face of extreme uncertainty . Jurczyk also talked about how NASA is open to independent reviews and audits , and how its “ commitment to transparency and a willingness to identify risks ” facilitate the organization make the demand adjustment .

“ NASA mission do things that have never been done before , ” enunciate Jurczyk . “ We employ tech that must be built on Earth , but can only be tested in distance . It must be expected that we take on some hazard . ”

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NASA ’s examiner superior general , Paul K. Martin , told the subcommittee that NASA endure from four primal problems : its culture of optimism , its propensity to underestimate technological complexity , funding instability , and its bankruptcy to develop the next propagation of project managers . Martin say the organization ’s “ can do ” culture , while praiseworthy and even a bite understandable , give undertaking handler the expected value that failed projects will receive extra financial backing , and that the resulting scientific success will overshadow any delay or budgetary overrun . NASA ’s task handler , he said , want to lose the “ too big to fail ” mentality . Martin said the JCL system has cater “ motley success , ” while pointing to other result such as price fixture with contractors , incentivizing vendors for hitting prey , and making sure NASA chooses contractor that are best suited for its investments . The place agency must also ensure its budget are reasonable , that money is properly phased throughout the course of a projection , and that its leadership shares a “ exonerated , interconnected , and maintain vision . ”

resound the opinions of his colleague , Daniel Dumbacher , the executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics , enounce NASA want stable , consistent , and predictable funding from Congress , and that disruptions to budgets involve schedule and contracts , which in turn leads to extra toll . Budget dubiety and threats of shutdowns , he said , forces undertaking coach to develop backup architectural plan ( which involve meter and money ) , while also contributing to disarray and miscommunication .

Another problem highlighted by the four witnesses is the countrywide shortage in STEM workers . Dumbacher tell 50 percent of NASA ’s manpower is now over the age of fifty , and there ’s a definite shortage of unexampled workers , especially managers , under the age of 35 . NASA , they argued , is in pauperism of workforce development . “ We need to give young professionals and scholarly person material hardware experience in - house at NASA , ” said Dumbacher , later add together that pupil graduate from colleges “ desire exciting employment , to know they ’re going to have the opportunity to make a divergence , and to help puzzle out today ’s and future job . ” Jurczyk agreed , read this model mirrors his own experience with the organisation . “ Hit those three thing , ” added Dumbacher , “ and they ’ll want to come study at NASA . It ’s why they go to SpaceX and Blue Origin and why they should also need to fare to NASA . ”

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In terms of other resolution , the witnesses also propose a “ watch inclination , ” where elusive contractile organ are flagged , and potentially excluded from future projects . When pressed to name some seller that should be placed on this naughty list , Chaplain said it ’s a difficult question to answer , as in some case there ’s share obligation . “ It ’s hard to parse out who ’s responsible for a special overproduction , ” she tell , “ even with workmanship issues . ” That said , Chaplain named two company she believes should be lend to the watch inclination : General Dynamics , a prime contractile organ with the Space web Ground Segment project , and theHarris Corporation , which was involved in thenow - canceled Radiation Budget instrumentproject .

Indeed , the issue with unreliable contractor was an ongoing theme throughout the continuance of the hearing , with proposed solution including bushel budget , project incentives for strike targets , and punitive measures in terms of lost profits . Many of these strategies are already in place , however , direct some subcommittee members to hint a tightening of the screws .

These solution are all fine and well , and believably even necessary , but as both the witnesses and the subcommittee were inclined to take , none of these measures should come at the disbursal of creation and the movement to build cutting - border space technology . Some of NASA ’s purpose next projection are just as bold , if not bolder , than the unity of the past . Looking forward , the infinite agency wants to return to the Moon , plunge a probe to Jupiter ’s moon Europa , and send astronauts to Mars .

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