The other day, it was learned that NASA decided to cancel the project to refuel satellites in orbit, the cost of which exceeded $ 2 billion. The reason for the termination of the contract was the agency’s audit, which revealed that the funds were overspent, and the contractor of the Maxar company did not have the necessary qualifications.

The OSAM-1 in-orbit satellite refueling project was launched in 2015 to continue the operation of the old Landsat 7 satellite. Since nothing clear has been done in the past, there is no point in continuing to work with this contractor company. as the agency explained.

In NASA’s official statement on its website on Friday, it was said that the suspension of work on the project was postponed. “Ongoing technical issues, cost and schedule issues, and the community’s shift away from refueling unprepared spacecraft, resulting in the absence of a promising partner [для майбутніх спільних проектів з обслуговування супутників на орбіті]».

All 450 employees in the OSAM-1 project will be financially supported by the agency until at least the end of fiscal year 2024 (end of September 2024).

“While we are disappointed in our decision to terminate the program, we are committed to supporting NASA in finding potential new partners or alternative uses for the equipment as operations are completed.” Maxar Space Systems representative Eric Glass said in a comment to CNBC.

Maxar was acquired by private equity firm Advent International in May 2023 and subsequently split into two businesses: Maxar Intelligence, which specializes in satellite imagery and analytics, and Maxar Space Systems, which specializes in spacecraft production.

On behalf of NASA, the OSAM-1 project was managed by the eponymous NASA Space Flight Center. Goddard in Maryland. While work on the project fell years behind schedule, the cost of the program for the agency increased rapidly. In a report prepared by NASA’s Comptroller General in October 2023, Insp. “We found that cost overruns and schedule delays on the project were mainly due to Maxar’s poor performance.”but the center’s employees also received it.

“NASA and Maxar officials acknowledged that the company underestimated the scope and complexity of the work, did not fully understand NASA’s technical requirements, and did not have the necessary expertise.” — It was stated in the NASA inspector general’s report based on annual inspection results. Auditor OSAM-1 probably “will exceed its current price of $2.05 billion and [пропустить] Launch date: December 2026”already 6 years behind schedule.

Additionally, in the report referring to Maxar representatives, the company “He no longer profits from his work at OSAM-1” and therefore, according to NASA, this project “High priority for Maxar in terms of the qualifications of its staff”.