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      Recent Reports
    Space Acquisitions: Analysis of Two DOD Reports to CongressGAO-24-106984
      
	Published:  Mar 26, 2024


	Publicly Released: Mar 26, 2024
          Commercial Space Transportation: FAA's Oversight of Human SpaceflightGAO-24-106184
      
	Published:  Feb 21, 2024


	Publicly Released: Feb 21, 2024
          NASA Artemis Programs: Lunar Landing Plans Are Progressing but Challenges RemainGAO-24-107249
      
	Published:  Jan 17, 2024


	Publicly Released: Jan 17, 2024
          Commercial Space Transportation: FAA Should Improve Its Mishap Investigation ProcessGAO-24-105561
      
	Published:  Dec 07, 2023


	Publicly Released: Dec 07, 2023
          NASA Artemis Programs: Crewed Moon Landing Faces Multiple ChallengesGAO-24-106256
      
	Published:  Nov 30, 2023


	Publicly Released: Nov 30, 2023
          Space Launch System: Cost Transparency Needed to Monitor Program AffordabilityGAO-23-105609
      
	Published:  Sep 07, 2023


	Publicly Released: Sep 07, 2023
    
    

  
  View More ReportsOpen Recommendations
        NASA Lunar Programs: Improved Mission Guidance Needed as Artemis Complexity GrowsGAO-22-105323
      
						Sep 08, 2022
              Show
          3Open Recommendations

          Agency Affected
                                                  Recommendation
                                                  StatusNational Aeronautics and Space Administration
                                                                                        The NASA Administrator should ensure that the Chief Financial Officer, in coordination with the mission directorates, develops Artemis mission-level schedule management guidance. (Recommendation 1)
                                                                                        Open
NASA agreed with this recommendation. NASA stated that the Artemis Campaign Development Division developed a baseline Schedule Management Plan in July 2022. The Office of the Chief Financial Officer expects to complete actions that address our recommendation by August 2023.National Aeronautics and Space Administration
                                                                                        The NASA Administrator, in coordination with the relevant mission directorates, should ensure that NASA conducts a schedule risk analysis for the Artemis II mission as close as possible to completion of the Artemis I mission and update it as needed to incorporate schedule updates and new risks. (Recommendation 2)
                                                                                        Open
NASA agreed with this recommendation and recognized the importance of performing an Artemis II schedule risk analysis. NASA stated that it plans to complete a schedule risk analysis in late fall of 2023.National Aeronautics and Space Administration
                                                                                        The NASA Administrator should ensure that the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer develops guidance that identifies a regular and recurring process for long-term Artemis workforce scenario planning to address future uncertainties, at least 5 years beyond the existing 5-year workforce plans. (Recommendation 4)
                                                                                        Open
NASA agreed with this recommendation, noting that it plans to establish workforce planning guidance beyond the 5-year budget planning process. In July 2023, NASA stated that NASA Centers had developed annual workforce plans that implemented NASA guidance for long term planning. NASA is in the process of reviewing these plans and expects to release finalized plans no earlier than October 1, 2023.
          U.S. Space Command: Air Force Should Develop Guidance for Strengthening Future Basing DecisionsGAO-22-106055
      
						Jun 02, 2022
              Show
          1Open Recommendations

          Agency Affected
                                                  Recommendation
                                                  StatusDepartment of the Air Force
                                                                                        The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment develops guidance for future strategic basing decisions that is consistent with GAO's Analysis of Alternatives (AOA) best practices, and determines the basing actions to which it should apply. (Recommendation 1)
                                                                                        Open
The Air Force neither agreed nor disagreed with this recommendation. On December 20, 2022, the Air Force stated that the department is developing guidance to identify appropriate basing actions and elements of the GAO analysis of alternatives methodology that will strengthen future basing decisions. The Air Force projected a completion date of March 31, 2023. Subsequently, in July 2023, the Air Force revised its completion date to October 16, 2023, due to sensitivities related to the U.S. Space Command basing decision - which had not been finalized. In January 2024, the Air Force revised the completion date to July 1, 2024. We will update the status of this recommendation when we confirm what actions the department has taken.
          Space Command and Control: Opportunities Exist to Enhance Annual ReportingGAO-22-104685
      
						Dec 22, 2021
          NASA Lunar Programs: Significant Work Remains, Underscoring Challenges to Achieving Moon Landing in 2024GAO-21-330
      
						May 26, 2021
              Show
          2Open Recommendations

          Agency Affected
                                                  Recommendation
                                                  StatusNational Aeronautics and Space Administration
                                                                                        The NASA Administrator, in coordination with the Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, should ensure the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) project office includes relevant development costs from the Resource Prospector project and the cost of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order for the delivery of VIPER to the lunar surface into its cost baseline. (Recommendation 1)
                                                                                        Open
NASA did not agree with this recommendation stating it did not include development costs for the Resource Prospector project in the baseline because VIPER's mission was significantly different, its design is much more capable, and a different mission directorate funded the project. In addition, NASA stated that it chose not to include the Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order costs in the VIPER project's cost baseline because the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative differs from other launch services procured for NASA missions. As of June 2023, we continue to believe that the relevant costs incurred for the VIPER project's development under the Resource Prospector project are important because they provide visibility into the total cost of developing the rover and some of its instruments. Further, the cost of Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order to deliver VIPER to the Moon is a key cost of the project's life cycle, even if the project is not responsible for managing the task order.National Aeronautics and Space Administration
                                                                                        The NASA Administrator should ensure that the NASA Office of the Chief Engineer develop guidance to mitigate risks associated with delaying the establishment of high-level requirements early in the acquisition process when using service-type contracts and incorporate it in its reference guide or a similar document. (Recommendation 2)
                                                                                        Open
NASA agreed with this recommendation and stated that the Office of the Chief Engineer planned to constitute a team to develop the guide. Subsequently, NASA created the Chief Program Management Officer (CPMO) and transitioned responsibility for guide to the CPMO. The CPMO and the Office of the Chief Engineer are in the process of reviewing comments on the guide prior to planned publication in November 2023.National Aeronautics and Space Administration
                                                                                        The NASA Administrator, in coordination with the Associate Administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, should ensure the Gateway program, in advance of the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) project's confirmation review, assesses the solar electric propulsion thrusters' technical risks and determine whether off-ramps—such as reduced requirements for PPE—are needed or whether the project's schedule should be reassessed. (Recommendation 3)
                                                                                        Open – Partially Addressed
NASA agreed with this recommendation and has taken some actions to implement it. The Gateway program and PPE project evaluated the technical risks of the solar electric propulsion thrusters as part of the project's preliminary design review in November 2021, and determined that there were no viable technical off-ramps. NASA planned to assess the project's schedule and establish a baseline schedule for PPE's launch at a Gateway program key decision point review which was held in July 2023. We have not yet received documentation from the meeting to confirm whether the PPE schedule was assessed.
    
    

  
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