Final Report Ig24015 Nasas Management Of Space Launch System Block 1b Development Unknown by Unknown instant download after payment.

Scheduled to launch in September 2028, Artemis IV will be the first flight of NASA’s more powerful heavy-lift rocket—
the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1B. The rocket is designed to increase the amount of cargo the SLS can deliver to
the Moon. A critical component of this upgrade is The Boeing Company’s (Boeing) development of the SLS’s new upper
stage, the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS). Once completed, the EUS will give the SLS a 40 percent upgrade in capability
to send the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle capsule and large cargos to the Moon, from 27 metric tons under
Block 1—the SLS rocket’s first iteration—to 38 metric tons with Block 1B.
The SLS Block 1B has been under development since 2014 and has faced changing technical requirements and
competing funding priorities. These factors, along with congressional directives to accelerate the rocket’s development,
have led to increased costs and schedule delays. Originally intended for the Artemis II mission, Block 1B's first flight was
moved to Artemis IV, extending the development timeline and increasing costs. Boeing’s EUS contract has grown from
$962 million to over $2 billion through 2025, contributing to the overall SLS Block 1B cost increase.
In this audit, we examined NASA’s management of the SLS Block 1B development, focusing on the EUS. To complete this
work, we interviewed officials from NASA Headquarters, Marshall Space Flight Center, Michoud Assembly Facility
(Michoud), Boeing, and the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). We also reviewed NASA and contractor cost
and budget documentation, contracts for each SLS element, contract obligations and disbursements, Boeing financial
management reports, and Earned Value Management System (EVMS) cost estimates. Additionally, we assessed past and
current schedules and quality control documents for SLS core and upper stage production.