NASA IG: Boeing’s SLS Rocket Over Budget, Behind Schedule Written 11 October 2018

Reuters reports that The Boeing Company’s “poor performance” in building a rocket for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) has “resulted in an $8.9 billion price tag that is double the initial budget and could further delay the launch, the U.S. space agency’s watchdog office said on Wednesday.” NASA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) said in an audit that “management, technical and infrastructure issues driven by Boeing’s poor performance” have led to delays and cost overruns. NASA spokeswoman Kathryn Hambleton confirmed that the agency is restructuring Boeing’s contract, but is planning on the current timetable of a test launch in mid-2020 with a crewed launch in 2022, adding that “there are still technical and schedule risks.” Boeing spokeswoman Patricia Soloveichik “said in an email that the audit did not accurately describe the current state of the program and the company had already implemented some of the watchdog’s recommendations.” Soloveichik also cited “internal NASA issues.” 
More Info (Reuters)