April 20, 2009 -- At a spacecraft factory down the road from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a small robotic probe is being prepared to fly to the moon. Its mission: map the lunar surface so NASA can find safe landing spots for astronauts. But that may be the least of its worries. A report issued last week by the Congressional Budget Office warns that the new manned space initiative, called Constellation, which is intended to follow the space shuttle and space station programs, is likely to cost about 50 percent more than advertised. The analysis is based on NASA's track record. Of 72 past programs, budget overruns averaged 50 percent, the CBO found, including 14 projects that nearly doubled in cost. Related Content:
"I think (CBO) got the trend and the big picture right," said Klaus Dannenberg, executive administrator with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, a Washington, D.C.-based trade organization. "But I wouldn't hang my hat on specific number because of the nature of the industry, the unknowns that we face and the surprises that come up," he added. NASA at least is starting off its Constellation program on stable financial ground. The bill for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is slated for launch June 2 aboard an unmanned Atlas 5 rocket, should come in at under $600 million -- about 10 percent over budget due to a launch delay from 2008, but within a cap that includes a 25 percent cushion, said project manager Craig Tooley, with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "It was very important to us" to stay on budget, Tooley told Discovery News. NASA plans to operate LRO for a year to draw up detailed maps of the moon's surface, then turn the probe over to its science department for a few years of follow-on investigations. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
advertisement
|
-
our sites
-
video
mobile
-
shop
-
stay connected
-
corporate
