United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2007-03-28 monographic deposited born digital 19 p. GA 1.13:GAO-07-595T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-595T P0b002ee18038bcdb f:d07595t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-595T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-595T GAO-07-595T Aerospace research Environmental policies Federal agency reorganization Human capital management Operational testing Procurement planning Program evaluation Program management Space exploration Staff utilization Strategic planning Systems design Program implementation Space shuttles Crew Exploration Vehicle Crew Launch Vehicle GAO High Risk Series NASA Space Shuttle Program Vision for Space Exploration Testimony A67388 On January 14, 2004, the President announced a new Vision for space exploration that directs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to focus its efforts on returning humans to the moon by 2020 in preparation for future, more ambitions missions. Implementing the Vision will require hundreds of billions of dollars and a sustained commitment from multiple administrations and Congresses. Some of the funding for implementing exploration activities is expected to come from funding freed up after the retirement of the Space Shuttle, scheduled for 2010, and projected termination of U.S. participation in the International Space Station by 2016. Congress, while supportive of the effort has voiced concern over the potential gap in human space flight. In the NASA Authorization Act of 2005, Congress stated that it is the policy of the United States to have the capability for human access to space on a continuous basis. NASA has made it a priority to minimize the gap to the extent possible. GAO provides no recommendations in this statement. However, GAO continues to emphasize that given the Nation's fiscal challenges and NASA's past difficulty developing systems within cost, schedule, and performance parameters, it is imperative that the agency adequately manage this transition in a fiscally competent and prudent manner. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-595T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-595T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-595T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-595T.pdf GAO-07-595T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-595T Testimony GAO-07-595T; NASA: Issues Surrounding the Transition from the Space Shuttle to the Next Generation of Human Space Flight Systems; Aerospace research Environmental policies Federal agency reorganization Human capital management Operational testing Procurement planning Program evaluation Program management Space exploration Staff utilization Strategic planning Systems design Program implementation Space shuttles Crew Exploration Vehicle Crew Launch Vehicle GAO High Risk Series NASA Space Shuttle Program Vision for Space Exploration