NASA needs to provide Congress with greater information on space shuttle retirement costs to Congress, GAO told a House science and technology panel recently.
In recounting a number of management challenges facing the agency, it said NASA is in one of the most challenging periods of its history, given that the shuttle is retiring, that the International Space Station nears completion but remains underutilized, and a new means of human space flight is under development.
GAO called on the agency to take actions aimed at more effective use of the station research facilities, develop business cases for acquisition programs, and improve financial and IT management.
NASA concurred with GAO’s International Space Station recommendations, and has improved some budgeting and management practices in response, according to GAO-10-387T.
Still, GAO said NASA’s projects tend to cost more and take longer to develop than planned. It said that within the last three years, 10 of the agency’s 19 costliest projects experienced cost growth averaging $121.1 million or 18.7 percent, and the average schedule growth was 15 months.
GAO also emphasized the agency’s financial management struggles, noting that the NASA inspector general has identified financial management as a serious challenge.
Further, NASA remains vulnerable to disruptions in its IT network, said GAO, adding however that the agency has made important progress in implementing security controls and aspects of its information security program.
