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On August 14, NASA (NASAA scathing report recently released by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) pointed out that during the development of NASA's new version of the Space Launch System (SLS) super-heavyRocketThere are several key issues in the process that may cause delays to the Artemis lunar exploration mission.

The report, released by NASA's internal watchdog on August 8, focuses on the giant Space Launch System SLS Block 1B and its Exploration Upper Stage (EUS). Block 1B is designed to enhance the SLS's cargo capabilities for flights to the moon. This upgraded version is critical to NASA's long-term lunar exploration plans and is expected to be used for the Artemis 4 mission scheduled to launch in 2028.

NASA's Office of Inspector General stated:BoeingWork on the SLS core stage, upper stage and rocket flight avionics systems at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans did not meet international standards or agency requirements. This situation has led the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) to issue multiple corrective action requests (CARs) to Boeing. CARs vary in level, indicating that work failed to meet specific contract requirements.

The report states that Michoud's quality control failures were "primarily due to Boeing's lack of adequately trained and experienced aerospace personnel." The report criticizes Boeing's training and oversight shortcomings for failing to address the deficiencies, raising serious questions about the safety and reliability of SLS parts.

The report also noted rising cost estimates and suggested that Artemis 4 might not be able to launch by its projected September 2028 date because of these issues.

"We estimate that SLS Block 1B costs will be approximately $5.7 billion by launch in 2028, $700 million above NASA's baseline of nearly $5 billion for 2023," the report said.

"More than half of this cost is accounted for by the development of the EUS, which we expect to increase in cost from $962 million in 2017 to nearly $2.8 billion by 2028."

The report also noted that Boeing's delivery of the EUS to NASA has been delayed from February 2021 to April 2027. These issues, combined with other factors, portend further delays that could affect the Artemis 4 mission.

The report also found that Boeing's response to the problems was ineffective, particularly with regard to recurring quality control issues.

The inspector general's recommendations included developing a quality management training program for Boeing that meets standards and imposing financial penalties for Boeing's failure to meet quality standards. It also recommended a detailed analysis of cost overruns on Boeing's EUS development contract. NASA agreed to three of the recommendations, but did not agree to impose financial penalties for Boeing's failure to meet quality control standards.

The report is another blow to Boeing, whose StarlinerspaceshipThe mission came under scrutiny for an unplanned extended stay at the International Space Station following problems with the spacecraft's reaction control thrusters, and related testing is still ongoing.

It also adds new problems to NASA's Artemis program. The Artemis 2 and Artemis 3 missions - the latter of which is planned to be the first mission to return humans to the lunar surface - have been delayed to September 2025 and September 2026, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Artemis "OrionThe spacecraft is also facing problems. In May, NASA's Office of Inspector General released a report on problems with the Orion spacecraft's heat shield, which could further affect preparations for the Artemis 2 mission.