13 years and $500 million for a stage adapter? Report justifies NASA cancellations.
Summary
Ars Technica analyzes NASA’s Artemis program cancellations, citing an inspector general memo that highlights substantial cost growth and schedule delays across four projects. The Universal Stage Adapter example illustrates how contract values ballooned from $131 million to $353 million, with a projected total near $497 million and potential completion around 2030. NASA officials argue that canceling these programs streamlines Artemis and aligns with longer-term lunar objectives, noting broader implications for procurement and project management.