Space Shuttle

Follow-up Evaluation of NASA's Solid Rocket Motor Procurement Gao ID: NSIAD-89-89 May 23, 1989

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA): (1) plans to establish and maintain competition in the future procurement of space shuttle solid rocket motors; and (2) quality assurance and industrial safety programs at its contractor's solid rocket motor manufacturing plant.

GAO found that: (1) NASA provided for full and open competition in the initial contract award and protected its option to compete future contracts for advanced motor production; (2) to maintain competition, NASA will require either government ownership of the manufacturing plant or transfer of ownership to the government or another contractor; (3) government ownership of the plant will facilitate, but not guarantee, future competition; (4) NASA and its contractor have improved quality assurance; (5) the contractor has reduced industrial safety hazards at its motor manufacturing plant, but NASA and the Air Force continue to identify hazards and violations and have applied financial penalties as an incentive for the contractor to resolve recurring problems; (6) the Air Force has not performed all needed independent safety inspections of shuttle motor manufacturing facilities due to a lack of personnel; and (7) in 1989, NASA plans to contract with its current contractor for an additional 142 redesigned motors at an estimated cost of $2.3 billion, but may have overestimated the number of motors needed.

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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