Report: NASA’s major projects busting budgets, schedules

Report: NASA’s major projects busting budgets, schedules

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s major projects are busting budgets and schedules like never before.

That’s the word from a congressional watchdog agency.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported Thursday that NASA’s major projects are more than 27 percent over baseline costs and the average launch delay is 13 months. That’s the largest schedule delay since the GAO began assessing NASA’s major projects 10 years ago.

The James Webb Space Telescope — still in development — is the major offender. NASA’s yet-to-fly mega rocket, the Space Launch System, also faces big cost overruns and, likely, more launch delays.

The GAO defines a major project as having at least $250 million in lifetime costs. Altogether, NASA plans to invest $63 billion on the 24 major projects listed in the GAO’s latest report.

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