NASA Inspector General report justifies program cancellations: $500 million and 13 years for a stage adapter
A new NASA Inspector General memorandum confirms that canceled exploration programs were plagued by cost overruns and delays, with the Dynetics stage adapter projected to cost nearly $500 million and deliver 13 years late.
A newly released memorandum from NASA's Office of Inspector General supports the agency's decision to cancel several exploration programs earlier this year. The document details significant cost growth, schedule slippage, contractor performance issues, and evolving mission requirements.
In a formal response to the report, Lori Glaze, chief of NASA's Human Spaceflight Directorate, stated that the data reinforces the rationale behind the cancellations announced during Ignition Day. She highlighted the need to streamline the Artemis architecture and modernize acquisition practices.
One of the most striking cases is the Universal Stage Adapter contract with Dynetics, signed in June 2017. The composite structure weighed 9,650 pounds (4.3 metric tons) and stood 33 feet (10 meters) tall. The original award was $131 million, later increased by $9 million for a payload separation system. At cancellation, the contract value had grown to $353 million, with delivery scheduled for September 2028—but Inspector General projections indicated costs would likely reach $497 million and delivery slip to May 2030. In essence, NASA was on track to spend half a billion dollars on a relatively simple adapter with no propulsion, taking 13 years to build.
The report also found that the Lunar Gateway station, due to delays with the Habitation and Logistics Outpost module, would not have been operational until at least 2032. Ars reported last week that NASA had formally asked Northrop Grumman to stop work on that module.
