MyQJ | QJ.NET | iPhone | MMORPG | Nintendo DS | Wii | PlayStation 3 | PSP | Xbox 360 | Downloads | QJ.NET Forums | Advertise on QJ!

NASA Moves Ahead with CEV Acquisition Plans Despite GAO Warnings

Posted Jul 31, 2006 at 08:18AM by Karen R. Listed in: News, Spacecraft Tags: NASA, cev, Space Shuttle, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Shuttle
Ó

new spaceship


“NASA’s current acquisition strategy for the CEV places the project at risk of significant cost overruns, schedule delays, and performance shortfalls because it commits the government to a long-term product development effort before establishing a sound business case,” writes the Government Accountability Office (GAO) of NASA's plan to award the CEV prime contract to either Lockheed Martin or Northrop Grumman-Boeing by August 31. Yet despite these warnings, NASA still decided to proceed with readying, developing, and producing the Space Shuttle-replacement.

Here is what NASA spokesman Michael Braukus has to say about GAO's report (entitled “NASA: Long-Term Commitment to and Investment in Space Exploration Program Requires More Knowledge,”): “We do not concur with GAO’s recommendation that the NASA administrator modify the CEV acquisition strategy. The agency’s business approach is consistent with the GAO’s recommendation and NASA is confident that its acquisition strategy and plans for selecting a CEV prime contractor are based on a sound business case and are in the government’s best interest.”

GAO, however, thinks otherwise. The agency noted that NASA is acting prematurely, pushing a CEV procurement even before developing a sound business case like well-defined requirements, preliminary design, mature technology, and firm cost estimates. GAO's worries do not end there. They are also questioning NASA's financial ability to return to the Moon by 2020.

NASA has been warned. If they choose to move forward with the CEV acquisition let us just hope that, contrary to GAO's predictions, their decision will reap good results.

[Via Space.com] Permalink  |   Email this  |   Linking Blogs   |   Digg It!

Bookmark / Find this article on:

0 Comments


Sort by:


Contact
QJ.NET Blog Network RSS Feeds
MyQJ Feed / PDA
MyQJ RSS / PDA
Blog of Blogs Feed / PDA
QJ.NET RSS / PDA
Gaming Consoles Feed / PDA
Nintendo DS RSS / PDA
PlayStation 3 RSS / PDA
PSP Updates RSS / PDA
Wii RSS / PDA
Xbox 360 RSS / PDA
PC Gaming Feed / PDA
Age of Conan RSS / PDA
Games for Windows RSS / PDA
MMORPG RSS / PDA
Tabula Rasa RSS / PDA
World of Warcraft RSS / PDA
Science Feed / PDA
Science RSS / PDA
Technology Feed / PDA
Apple RSS / PDA
Gadgets RSS / PDA
iPhone RSS / PDA
Mobile RSS / PDA
Photography RSS / PDA
Tech RSS / PDA
Add QJ.NET
Add to My Yahoo!
Google Reader Subscribe with Bloglines
Add to your Kinja digest Subscribe in NewsGator Online
Subscribe with Pluck RSS reader Add 'www.qj.net' to Newsburst from CNET News.com
Subscribe with SearchFox RSS del.icio.us www.qj.net
Add to Technorati Favorite! Add to My AOL
furl! it Stumble for Treehugger!
User Favorites - October
Most Commented
No commented articles
User Favorites - October
Top Jumps
No available articles using criteria

 Username: 
 Password:
Forgot password
New user registration



Poll
Are unidentified flying objects (UFOs) really alien spaceships?
Earth Science
General Science
Health Science
Space
Archives


Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the TERMS & CONDITIONS and PRIVACY POLICY
Copyright © 2006, Content Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Version. 1.31