GAO report criticizes NASA for ISS resupply studies
Posted: Wed, Jun 1, 2005, 8:42 AM ET (1242 GMT)
A report issued Tuesday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) criticized NASA for alternatives for transporting supplies to the International Space Station. The report said that while NASA ruled out the use of commercial or other alternative vehicles for ISS resupply missions, that 2004 study was "insufficient" to conclude that the shuttle was the only vehicle capable of carrying supplies for the station. NASA has been studying off-and-on the concept of "alternative" or "assured" access to the station using commercially-developed and/or -operated cargo modules, and recently NASA officials have indicated that they are open again to using alternatives to the shuttle for ISS resupply. The issue of ISS supply has been exacerbated by the grounding of the shuttle, the primary vehicle for carrying ISS supplies, since the shuttle Columbia accident; NASA and the other ISS partners have relied exclusively on Russian Progress spacecraft to carry supplies since the accident.
A report issued Tuesday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) criticized NASA for alternatives for transporting supplies to the International Space Station. The report said that while NASA ruled out the use of commercial or other alternative vehicles for ISS resupply missions, that 2004 study was "insufficient" to conclude that the shuttle was the only vehicle capable of carrying supplies for the station. NASA has been studying off-and-on the concept of "alternative" or "assured" access to the station using commercially-developed and/or -operated cargo modules, and recently NASA officials have indicated that they are open again to using alternatives to the shuttle for ISS resupply. The issue of ISS supply has been exacerbated by the grounding of the shuttle, the primary vehicle for carrying ISS supplies, since the shuttle Columbia accident; NASA and the other ISS partners have relied exclusively on Russian Progress spacecraft to carry supplies since the accident.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Vast signs contract with SpaceX for ISS private astronaut missions
Posted: Sat, Dec 21 11:59 AM ET (1659 GMT) Avio signs ESA contracts for Vega upgrades and Earth science satellite launch
Posted: Sat, Dec 21 11:57 AM ET (1657 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, December 26
Buy SpaceX Stock With Ease, But Beware The Risks
Forbes.com — 7:35 am ET (1235 GMT) ESA Enlists Portuguese Navy Submarine to Prepare for Deep Space
European Spaceflight — 7:22 am ET (1222 GMT) Has CNES Opened the Door for a European Space Station?
European Spaceflight — 7:21 am ET (1221 GMT) Scientists await signal from spacecraft after historic close encounter with the sun
NPR — 7:19 am ET (1219 GMT) Summer read: Cosmic Catastrophes
Cosmos Magazine — 7:18 am ET (1218 GMT) |
