NASA’S COSTINGS CRITICISED

In the run-up to STS-110 the Inspector General’s Office issued a report criticising NASA for having no assurance that they had paid the best available price for ISS components. Having spent $334 million on ISS hardware through FY2000, NASA had not negotiated separate prices for each component and had not maintained thorough records of what had been paid. Therefore, the report concluded that NASA could not know if they had paid the best available price, or if they had been over­charged. The report also highlighted the fact that Boeing had not included certain costs in its price estimates and NASA had therefore underestimated its own costs by $39 million over the five years from 1995 to 2000. The criticism came on top of the cost over-runs that had led to the cancellation of the American Habitation module and the X-38 CRV.

NASA’s Space Station programme manager Thomas Holloway stated that three teams were studying NASA’s ISS finances for the next 3 years. He estimated that the station could be brought to the new “Core Complete’’ in 2006, for a cost of $8.3 billion. Holloway told the press, “I can assure you that we know where all our money is and where all our money is going. I also do not believe that we are wasting any taxpayers’ money.’’

On the same subject, Joe Mills of Boeing added, “What’s disconcerting is that in the face of all this technical accomplishment… we don’t get a more balanced appreciation of the project.’’

STS-110 should have been launched on April 4, 2002. On that date the count­down was stopped shortly after the filling of the ET’s liquid hydrogen tank had begun. A leak had been found in a weld on a gaseous hydrogen vent line on the Mobile Launch Platform. The line was used to vent hydrogen vapours out of the ET, to prevent a dangerous build-up of pressure. White gas flowed through the leak for 1 minute before it was isolated. Atlantis’ crew had not begun suiting up when the launch attempt was scrubbed, so the spacecraft was returned to a safe condition, and the Rotating Service Structure was moved back around the vehicle. Because fuelling had begun the countdown was recycled T — 72 hours with the next attempt set for April 7, and subsequently moved to April 8. The faulty hydrogen line was vented and purged with nitrogen before a welding team began the 12-hour repair, which was followed by inspection and testing. The STS-110 crew remained at Cape Canaveral throughout the weekend.