GAO Weighs In

The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, has issued a report questioning the ability of NASA to complete the construction of ISS before the scheduled retirement of the space shuttle in 2010. GAO says everything will need to go right for NASA to complete that construction on time.

After ISS is complete and the shuttle is retired, supplying ISS will be a problem until the next American manned spacecraft is flying. Using the capabilities of the completed station to do scientific research will be hampered if access to the station is a problem. Currently, post-shuttle, unmanned craft from Europe, Russia, and Japan will take cargo to ISS, but the Russian Soyuz will be the only way to get people to and from orbit.