Space Shuttle

The Future of the Vandenberg Launch Site Needs to Be Determined Gao ID: NSIAD-88-158 August 3, 1988

GAO examined the Air Force's deactivation efforts for the space shuttle's Vandenberg Launch Site (VLS) and its plans for maintaining and reactivating the site.

GAO found that the Air Force: (1) planned to complete the few remaining VLS deactivation tasks during fiscal years 1988 and 1989; (2) placed VLS in a low-maintenance status due to limited funding and the lack of a shuttle launch schedule; and (3) did no detailed reactivation planning. GAO also found that: (1) reactivation costs would increase each year VLS remained nonoperational; (2) reactivation had high schedule and technical risks; and (3) the Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration were considering using VLS for other launch systems, since the shuttle's lift capability from VLS was below the required level.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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