Surely the GAO tracks NASA's revenue generating activities?
.......
Yes, and it's not pleased with what the numbers show.
NASA scores poorly in new oversight report
by Jeff Hecht, New Scientist
<snip>
NASA couldn't give GAO meaningful "baseline" costs for five of the 18 programs [reviewed by the GAO], including three of the biggest: the Ares crew launch vehicle, the Orion crew exploration vehicle, and the James Webb Space Telescope. All are years away from launch, so some uncertainty is understandable, but hardly encouraging.
Ten of the 13 NASA projects that have established baseline costs in the past three years are both behind schedule and over budget. On average, their costs have risen 13% above the baseline projection, while launch dates have slipped an average of 11 months.
<snip>
The list runs like this, with project cost increases and delays:
• Ares 1 Crew Launch Vehicle: costs and schedules not final
• Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle: Official costs and schedule not final.
• Global Precipitation Measurement Mission: Official cost and schedule not final.
• James Webb Space Telescope (infrared telescope): cost and schedule estimates not final
• Landsat Data Continuity Mission: cost and schedule not final.
• SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy): Baseline reflected near-quadrupling of original cost estimates, cost increased only 3% after baseline set. Nine-month delay; first test flight in April 2007.
• Glory (climate satellite): 53% increase in development cost, at least 6-month delay in launch (planned for June 2009, may be delayed by launcher problems after loss of Orbital Carbon Observatory)
• Mars Science Laboratory: 26% cost increase; 25-month delay (missed launch window)
• Kepler mission (planet transit search): 25% cost increase; 9-month delay. Due to launch on Friday.
• NPOESS Preparatory Project (Ozone and climate measurements): 19% cost increase; 26-month delay (late delivery of key instrument)
• Orbiting Carbon Observatory: 18% cost increase, 5-month delay, launch failed on 24 February.
• Herschel Space Observatory (infrared telescope): 13% increase in development cost; 20-month delay
• Aquarius (Global water cycle satellite): 6% cost increase; 10-month schedule delay.
• Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (now the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope): 5% cost increase; 9-month delay, launched June 2008
• Solar Dynamics Observatory: 1% cost increase; 17-month delay (launch scheduling issues)
• Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: On budget, 6-month delay expected. May launch planned.
• Dawn (asteroid mission): on budget, on time when launched September 2007
• Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (map infrared sky): 1% cost decrease; no slippage expected in November launch.
[...]
Rest at New Scientist --
<http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2009/03/nasa-scores-poorly-in-new-over.html>
Link to GAO report (PDF) --
<http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-306SP>
.d.