These include 280 high-level requirements related to the  design, manufacturing, testing, qualification, production, and operation of  crew transportation systems that deliver NASA astronauts to the ISS. Current Program Contracts

In September 2014, NASA awarded firm-fixed-price contracts to Boeing  and SpaceX, valued at up to $4.2 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively, for  the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability phase. During this phase, the contractors will complete  development of crew transportation systems that meet NASA  requirements, provide NASA with the evidence it needs to certify that  those systems meet its requirements, and fly initial crewed missions to  the ISS. Other elements of the reviews  are similar though. Neither Contractor Expects to Achieve Certification before 2018 and NASA Has Not Yet Determined How It Will Ensure ISS Access in Case of Further Delays

Since September 2014, both Boeing and SpaceX have made progress  developing their crew transportation systems, but neither contractor will  be able to meet their original 2017 certification dates and both expect  certification to be delayed until 2018. The schedule pressures are amplified  by NASA’s need to provide a viable crew transportation option to the ISS  before its current contract with Russia’s space agency runs out in 2019. If NASA does not develop a viable contingency  plan for ensuring access to the ISS in the event of further Commercial  Crew delays, it risks not being able to maximize the return on its  multibillion dollar investment in the space station. This includes the contractors’ ability to meet the agency’s  requirements related to the safety of their systems. The program is also tracking a risk about having adequate information on  the parachute system. Program officials told us that they have  informed SpaceX that the cracks are an unacceptable risk for human  spaceflight. The visibility that the Commercial Crew Program gains through the use of  these contract mechanisms is designed to assist in its oversight and final  certification of the contractors’ crew transportation systems, as shown in  figure 4. Sustaining Program’s Level of Visibility Might Be Difficult as Schedule Pressure Builds

The Commercial Crew Program has developed productive working  relationships with both contractors, but the level of visibility that the  program has required thus far has also taken more time than the program  or contractors anticipated. As the Commercial Crew Program progresses, the program office could  also face difficult choices about how to maintain the level of visibility into  contractor efforts it feels it needs without adding to the program’s  schedule pressures. In  addition, while the Commercial Crew Program should be mindful about  placing undue burdens on its contractors, it ultimately has the  responsibility for ensuring the safety of U.S. astronauts, and its contracts  with Boeing and SpaceX give it deference to determine the level of insight  required to do so. Recommendation for Executive Action

In order to ensure that the United States has continued access to the ISS  if the Commercial Crew Program’s contractors experience additional  schedule delays, we recommend the NASA Administrator develop a  contingency plan for maintaining a presence on the ISS beyond 2018,  including options to purchase additional Russian Soyuz seats, and report  to Congress on the results. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

The objectives of our review were to assess (1) the extent to which the  contractors have made progress towards certification and the potential  effects of any certification delays on the National Aeronautics and Space  Administration’s (NASA) access to the International Space Station (ISS);  (2) the major programmatic and safety risks facing the program and the  contractors; and (3) the extent to which the program has visibility into the  contractors’ efforts.
Why GAO Did This Study

Since the Space Shuttle was retired in 2011, the United States has been relying on Russia to transport astronauts to and from the ISS. The purpose of NASA's Commercial Crew Program is to facilitate the development of a domestic transport capability. In 2014, NASA awarded two firm-fixed-price contracts to Boeing and SpaceX with a combined total value up to $6.8 billion for the development of crew transportation systems that meet NASA requirements and initial missions to the ISS. The contractors were originally required to provide NASA all the evidence it needed to certify that their systems met its requirements by 2017.
A house report accompanying H.R. 2578 included a provision for GAO to review the progress of NASA's human exploration programs. This report examines the Commercial Crew Program including (1) the extent to which the contractors have made progress towards certification, (2) the risks facing the program, and (3) the extent to which the program has visibility into the contractors' efforts. To do this work, GAO analyzed contracts, schedules, and other documentation; and spoke with officials from NASA, the Commercial Crew Program, Boeing, SpaceX, and independent review bodies.

What GAO Found

Both of the Commercial Crew Program's contractors have made progress developing their crew transportation systems, but both also have aggressive development schedules that are increasingly under pressure. The two contractors—Boeing and Space Exploration Technologies, Corp. (SpaceX)—are developing transportation systems that must meet the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) standards for human spaceflight—a process called certification. Both Boeing and SpaceX have determined that they will not be able to meet their original 2017 certification dates and both expect certification to be delayed until 2018, as shown in the figure below. The schedule pressures are amplified by NASA's need to provide a viable crew transportation option to the International Space Station (ISS) before its current contract with Russia's space agency runs out in 2019. If NASA needs to purchase additional seats from Russia, the contracting process typically takes 3 years. Without a viable contingency option for ensuring uninterrupted access to the ISS in the event of further Commercial Crew delays, NASA risks not being able to maximize the return on its multibillion dollar investment in the space station.
Both contractors are also dealing with a variety of risks that could further delay certification, including program concerns about the adequacy of information on certain key systems to support certification. Another top program risk is the ability of NASA and its contractors to meet crew safety requirements.
The Commercial Crew Program is using mechanisms laid out in its contracts to gain a high level of visibility into the contractors' crew transportation systems. The program is using a different model than every other spacecraft NASA has built for humans. For example, NASA personnel are less involved in the testing, launching, and operation of the crew transportation system. The program has developed productive working relationships with both contractors, but the level of visibility that the program has required thus far has also taken more time than the program or contractors anticipated. Ultimately, the program has the responsibility for ensuring the safety of U.S. astronauts and its contracts give it deference to determine the level of visibility required to do so. Moving forward though, the program office could face difficult choices about how to maintain the level of visibility it feels it needs without adding to the program's schedule pressures.

What GAO Recommends

Given the delays in the Commercial Crew Program, GAO recommends that NASA develop and report to Congress on its contingency plans for maintaining a U.S. presence on the ISS beyond 2018. NASA concurred with the recommendation and intends to develop a contingency plan.