Government Accountability Office (GAO) website, official GAO reports

NASA's Mobile Launcher-2 Costs Soar to $2.7 Billion for Artemis Campaign

Aug 27, 2024, 03:55 PM

NASA's Mobile Launcher-2 (ML-2) project, which supports larger variants of the Space Launch System (SLS), has seen its cost estimate skyrocket to $2.7 billion. This is a significant increase from the original estimate of $383 million. NASA estimates the ML-2 will cost $1.8 billion, over three times more than planned. The ML-2 is crucial for NASA's Artemis campaign, aimed at returning astronauts to the Moon and sending crewed missions to Mars. Despite efforts to improve project performance, the cost has surged to over three times the planned budget. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has provided detailed insights into the project's escalating expenses.