National Aero-Space Plane; A Need for Program Direction and Funding Decisions (GAO/NSIAD-93-207)

12 pages, plus covers. This is a "Report to Congressional Requesters". Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP) Program, focusing on the: (1) status of efforts to resolve the program's cost, schedule, and technical problems; and (2) lack of top-level management direction. The presidentially directed NASP Program is a joint Department of Defense (DoD)/National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) technology development and demonstration program. The program's goal is to provide the technological basis for future space launch and hypersonic flight vehicles by developing critical or enabling technologies, such as the scramjet engine. DOD and NASA intended to demonstrate these technologies by building and testing the X-30, a manned experimental flight vehicle that is to be capable of single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) flight. The concept is to develop a vehicle that can take off horizontally from a runway; reach hypersonic speeds of up to 25 times the speed of sound (Mach 25); and attain low earth orbit, without the use of external booster rockets or propellant tanks. The program currently consists of three phases. Phase I (1982 to 1985), which preceded the formal initiation of the program, evaluated the feasibility and technical concept for an aerospace plane. Phase II (1985 to 1994) is a technology development and maturation phase. The program was in the final segment of phase II, which was intended to develop the critical technologies and manufacturing processes, build and test specific structural articles, and test a subscale engine to demonstrate the propulsion system's concept. A decision was to be made in September 1993 based on cost and technical maturity on whether to proceed into phase III, which involves designing, building, and testing the X-30. However, funding constraints and technical concerns have caused DOD and NASA to reconsider the timing of this decision and to restructure the current contract and associated technical efforts. The National Space Council had been responsible for developing overall national policy, direction, and guidance on space activities such as the NASP Program; however, the new administration has designated the Office of Science and Technology Policy to assume these roles. In 1986, the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of NASA chartered the NASP Steering Group to provide policy, guidance, and broad programmatic direction to the program. Among the Steering Group's tasks were approving both the program's entrance into phase III (subject to the consent of the Secretary of Defense and Administrator of NASA) and substantive changes to the program, resolving programmatic issues, and reviewing proposed changes and making recommendations relative to the program's funding. The Steering Group is currently chaired by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and the Deputy Administrator of NASA is vice-chair. The Air Force is the program's executive agency and has established a Joint Program Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to manage the program. The NASP National Contractor Team, consisting of five major aerospace contractors is responsible for the majority of the technology development efforts. Since fiscal year 1986, Congress has provided about $1.7 billion to DOD and NASA for phase Il. GAO reported in December 1992 that the projected cost for the baseline program had increased from $3.1 billion to $17.0 billion, the time frames for achieving such milestones as first flight were uncertain, and the development of key technologies had encountered difficulties. These cost, schedule, and technical problems will not be resolved by the completion of the currently planned phase II efforts. Consequently, a decision to begin phase III has been effectively deferred. Neither the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Steering Group, nor DOD has provided clear direction on what the program's future efforts and objectives should.…