Development began in 1996 for a launch initially planned for 2007 with a US$500 million budget. I’ve been keeping track the whole time. It was Obviously one delay after another with the cost ballooning to 9.8 billion dollars. I believe long after we are all gone it will be remembered as a great milestone with all the costs and delays merely footnotes to its story.
One of my jobs at Boeing was as a “Project engineer”.
I was quickly taught to not provide all the information.
If the early cost of a system was known up front it would never be approved, but the system was needed. Catch 22.
Consequently whenever I was on a review board for other projects after given a projected cost and time line, I always assumed double to triple the cost and a longer time frame.
Hell of a way to do business. They are all liars.
Had the specs not continuously changed you would not have had lateness or budgetary increases