NASA Auditor reveals "unsustainable" cost for SLS launches

NASA has been working with the Space Launch System (SLS) since they retired the space shuttle in 2011. The agency first hoped that the mega rocket would fly by 2016, but it turned out to be a very optimistic estimate. As the delays grew, the costs increased. In a recent House Science Committee hearing, NASA Inspector General Paul Martin revealed the real cost of an SLS launch, which is much higher than the $ 2 billion target. It's more like $ 4.1 billion, but Martin turned to the deputies and reminded them that it was Congress that dictated the terms of NASA's SLS contract. 


SLS is a super-heavy lifting roof, the most powerful launching system ever developed. Or rather, it will be if it is ever launched. So far, NASA has only tested the individual components, as well as the Orion capsule that will go on top of the stack. SLS is the core of NASA's Artemis program to return humans to the moon, and it can be used to send large payloads into the outer solar system. However, the delays have already caused some changes in NASA's plans. For example, the Europa Clipper mission, which is scheduled to be launched in 2024, will rely on the SpaceX Falcon Heavy instead of the SLS. 

The SLS program has cost NASA more than $ 23 billion (including inflation) over the first 10 years. This number is public, but the hearing is the first time the actual launch cost has been revealed, and that $ 4.1 billion may not come down much. On the question of whether SLS will be cheaper when the program matures, Martin seemed skeptical. In fact, all SLS flights will have "a price tag that makes us unsustainable." This exchange is around the middle of the video below. 

These congressional hearings are usually fixed matters, but as reported by Ars Technica, Martin chose to explain the contract process without calling for reps. He said part of the cost overruns was due to Congress's insistence that NASA use so-called "costs". -plus ”contract. This means that the contractor must pay all his costs plus a fee as compensation. Martin says this encourages entrepreneurs like Boeing and Lockheed Martin to take longer and spend more to get the same results. He specifically criticized Boeing's poor planning and implementation, noting that they still received significant bonus payments required under the cost plus contract. Switching to fixed-price contracts would contribute to lower costs in the future, Martin said. 

Although NASA was allowed to make changes to the SLS and Artemis programs in the future, it does not change the nature of SLS: it is a consumption rocket. The $ 4.1 billion gives you a single launch, after which the used rocket is thrown into the sea. SpaceX has reduced launch costs with the Falcon 9 by making the first step reusable. The company's upcoming Starship could also give SLS a chance. NASA has chosen Starship for use in Artemis but only as a descent vehicle to reach the surface of the moon. However, you have to wonder if Starship could do everything for a fraction of the cost.