(CNSNews.com) – Lack of money and testing delays mean NASA will not be able to send astronauts into orbit until at least 2021, according to a report released Aug. 15 by the NASA Office of Inspector General.
“NASA plans to delay delivery of several systems required to ‘human rate’ the Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), and as a result, the Agency does not expect the spacecraft to be available for crewed operations until at least 2021,” said Paul K. Martin, NASA’s inspector general.
Under current funding levels, astronauts will be limited to orbital missions, because the systems necessary for surface exploration have not been developed, NASA said.
Given the amount of time and money necessary to develop these systems, it is unlikely that NASA will be able to conduct surface exploration missions until the late 2020s at the earliest, NASA said.
The Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle is being developed as a result of the “NASA Authorization Act of 2010.”
The Act set the goal of achieving full operational capacity for the MPCV, not later than Dec. 21, 2016.
The report said the lack of funding is forcing managers to complete the most immediate tests, while development and testing has been delayed on other important but less time-sensitive aspects of the program
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