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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

NASA wants to buy SLS rockets at half price, fly them into the 2050s [arstechnica.com]

NASA has asked the US aerospace industry how it would go about "maximizing the long-term efficiency and sustainability" of the Space Launch System rocket and its associated ground systems.

[...] In its request [sam.gov] NASA says it would like to fly the SLS rocket for "30 years or more" as a national capability. Moreover, the agency wants the rocket to become a "sustainable and affordable system for moving humans and large cargo payloads to cislunar and deep-space destinations."

[...] Among the rocket's chief architects was then-Florida Senator Bill Nelson, who steered billions of dollars to Kennedy Space Center in his home state for upgraded ground systems equipment to support the rocket. Back in 2011, he proudly said the rocket would be delivered on time and on budget.

"This rocket is coming in at the cost of... not only what we estimated in the NASA Authorization act, but less," Nelson said [spacenews.com] at the time. "The cost of the rocket over a five- to six-year period in the NASA authorization bill was to be no more than $11.5 billion. This costs $10 billion for the rocket." Later, he went further, saying [nasaspaceflight.com], "If we can't do a rocket for $11.5 billion, we ought to close up shop."

After more than 10 years, and more than $30 billion spent on the rocket and its ground systems, NASA has not closed up shop. Rather, Nelson has ascended to become the space agency's administrator.

Previously:

*SPOILER* (click to show) *SPOILER* (click to hide)

Artemis Program Requires More Cash to Reach Moon by 2024; SLS Could Cost 1,000x More Than Starship [soylentnews.org]
NASA OIG: Tell Congress that Moon Rocket is Over Budget and Behind Schedule [soylentnews.org]
NASA Spent a Decade and Nearly $1 Billion for a Single Launch Tower [soylentnews.org]
NASA Will Pay a Staggering $146 Million for Each SLS Rocket Engine [soylentnews.org]
Charlie Bolden Says the Quiet Part Out Loud: SLS Rocket Will Go Away [soylentnews.org]
NASA Lays out $28 Billion Plan to Return Astronauts to the Moon in 2024 [soylentnews.org]
NASA SLS Megarocket Shortage Causes Tug-of-war Between Moon Missions, Europa Exploration [soylentnews.org]
SLS: Nasa 'Megarocket' Assembly Begins in Florida [soylentnews.org]
NASA's Europa Clipper has been Liberated from the Space Launch System [soylentnews.org]
After a Decade, NASA's Big Rocket Fails its First Real Test [soylentnews.org]
NASA's Massive Artemis Moon Rocket Set for Second Hot Fire Test Today 1500 EDT (1900 UTC) [soylentnews.org]
NASA Has Begun a Study of the SLS Rocket's Affordability [Updated] [soylentnews.org]
COVID-19 Pandemic Estimated to Cost NASA $3 Billion [soylentnews.org]

Original Submission