NASA Sees Cost Rising 30% on Boeing Rocket for Moon Missions

[Elderberry]

Bloomberg by Justin Bachman 8/27/2020

•   Jump in price tag is tied to firm November 2021 launch date

•   Space agency is working at ‘best possible pace,’ Lueders says

Boeing Co.’s Space Launch System, the largest rocket in NASA’s history, will carry a price tag of at least $9.1 billion -- or 30% more than the previous estimate for a key element in the agency’s plan to return to the moon.

Additionally, the costs for new ground infrastructure at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center to support the deep-space exploration program has jumped to $2.4 billion, Kathy Lueders, NASA’s associate administrator for human spaceflight, said in a blog post Wednesday. That’s also a 30% increase, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said in an email Thursday.

“NASA has notified Congress of these new commitments, and we are working at the best possible pace toward launch, including streamlining operational flow at Kennedy and assessing opportunities to further improve the efficiency of our integration activities,” Lueders wrote.

More: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-27/nasa-sees-cost-of-boeing-sls-rocket-rising-30-to-9-1-billion

[Joe Wooten]

[Idiot]

Bloomberg by Justin Bachman 8/27/2020

•   Jump in price tag is tied to firm November 2021 launch date

•   Space agency is working at ‘best possible pace,’ Lueders says

Boeing Co.’s Space Launch System, the largest rocket in NASA’s history, will carry a price tag of at least $9.1 billion -- or 30% more than the previous estimate for a key element in the agency’s plan to return to the moon.

Additionally, the costs for new ground infrastructure at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center to support the deep-space exploration program has jumped to $2.4 billion, Kathy Lueders, NASA’s associate administrator for human spaceflight, said in a blog post Wednesday. That’s also a 30% increase, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said in an email Thursday.

“NASA has notified Congress of these new commitments, and we are working at the best possible pace toward launch, including streamlining operational flow at Kennedy and assessing opportunities to further improve the efficiency of our integration activities,” Lueders wrote.

More: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-27/nasa-sees-cost-of-boeing-sls-rocket-rising-30-to-9-1-billion

Elon could do it much cheaper and likely put a Tesla on the moon.

[Joe Wooten]

Elon could do it much cheaper and likely put a Tesla on the moon.

But there is no graft and pork from using the Falcon Heavy for the moon program.