Space Shuttle: NASA's Plans for Repairing or Replacing a Damaged or
Destroyed Orbiter (Letter Report, 07/21/94, GAO/NSIAD-94-197).

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has not
established contingency plans to replace an orbiter in the event of a
catastrophic accident or to repair an orbiter seriously damaged in an
accident because national policy is not to produce any additional
orbiters.  The agency also is terminating its structural spaces program.
Orbiter project officials argue that should the need arise for an
additional orbiter or structural component, that capability to produce
it could be obtained from the commercial sector.  However, production
would take longer than if spare structural components and critical
manufacturing were readily available.  Ending that program will result
in the loss of some critical manufacturing skills that would be needed
to produce another orbiter, such as the skills needed to make payload
bay door skins.  However, NASA believes that this situation poses
significant risks to the shuttle because those skills could be
reacquired if another orbiter is needed.  The plants at Downey and
Palmdale in southern California will be required to support the shuttle
at least until modification for flights to the Russian space station and
the international space station are completed.  The National Facilities
Study Team recommended that NASA consolidate production at the two
plants after it completes major modifications to the orbiters.  GAO
agrees that a decision will be needed on the use of these plants when
the modification program is completed since excess capacity will exist.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  NSIAD-94-197
     TITLE:  Space Shuttle: NASA's Plans for Repairing or Replacing a 
             Damaged or Destroyed Orbiter
      DATE:  07/21/94
   SUBJECT:  Property and supply management
             Equipment inventories
             Spare parts
             Aerospace engineering
             Agency missions
             Aerospace industry
             Satellites
             Space exploration
             Manufacturing contracts
             Accidents
IDENTIFIER:  Space Shuttle
             
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