Space Station Extension May Cost More Than NASA Expects: Report

universetoday.com ^ | September 19, 2014 | Elizabeth Howell on

[BenLurkin]

NASA’s anticipated $3 billion to $4 billion annual budget for the International Space Station is “overly optimistic”, a new report from NASA’s Inspector General says.

Transportation costs will likely rise when NASA uses commercial spacecraft to access the station instead of Russian Soyuzes, the report said. Also, if international partners don’t commit to extending the station four extra years to 2024, NASA will need to pick up more of the financial burden.

“While ISS program officials have been seeking ways to reduce costs and consolidate resources, it is unclear whether these efforts will be sufficient to address anticipated cost increases, particularly because the program does not expect to maintain any funding reserves over the next several years,” the report reads.

[TalonDJ]

In other news the sky is blue and bears **** in the woods.

[cripplecreek]

We should have been concentrating on getting a permanent base on the moon.

[Moonman62]

Transportation costs will likely rise when NASA uses commercial spacecraft to access the station instead of Russian Soyuzes, the report said.

...

That may be true for Boeing, but for SpaceX, I doubt it.

[MasterGunner01]

ANOTHER cost overrun by NASA? Who would have thought it and what does this have to do with Muslim outreach? NASA’s supposed to do Muslim outreach and not icky space stuff by directive of our Dear Leader and community organizer, Barry.

[molson209]

The Russians may take their smelly section and go home

[GeronL]

They will abandon and deorbit the ISS by 2020 probably

[onedoug]

Christian iconography and all.

[oh8eleven]

We should have been concentrating on getting a permanent base on the moon.
Why? There's nothing there but rocks, dust and a few used rovers.

[hal ogen]

Just what part of the “international” space station did the US taxpayer pay? Call it what it is...the USA space station.

[VRWC For Truth]

Needs more Mooselimb outreach.

[FreeAtlanta]

Isn’t it the Russian Space Station now? We don’t have a way to get to the fickin thing.

[bravo whiskey]

boeing and space x have crappy proposals but also have the money to buy votes. just like the rest of this regieme, gettingthe best money can bribe.

[Dagnabitt]

We should detach the US part and use it as the nucleus of a Mars mission.

Or at least put it into orbit around the moon.

LEO is boring.