Posted: Sun, Mar 15, 2026, 8:19 AM ET (1219 GMT)
NASA's inspector general said that the agency's approach to Artemis lunar lander development has controlled costs but not schedule. A report this week by the inspector general said there has been only minor cost growth on its Human Landing System (HLS) contracts with Blue Origin and SpaceX, and that growth has been linked in large part to changes to other elements of Artemis. However, the report found significant schedule delays by both companies, particularly as they struggle with key technologies such as management of the cryogenic propellants their landers will use. The report did not incorporate recent changes to Artemis announced just in the last few weeks, but the study raises questions about the ability of NASA and the companies to accelerate development of their landers.

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