Development of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and its more powerful configurations, a key element of NASA’s lunar program, may be suspended, Ars Technica columnist Eric Berger reported, citing sources in the US aerospace industry.

Although no official decision has yet been made, serious questions have been raised many times about the feasibility of continuing to finance the project. SLS has been plagued with problems for years. These include significant budget overruns, which have already reached six billion dollars, and constant delays in the implementation of the project. Former NASA deputy director Laurie Garver said the Space Launch System rocket was unsustainable.

The first launch of the SLS as part of the Artemis I mission in 2022 is considered a success, but subsequent damage to the Orion spacecraft calls into question the possibility of the astronauts returning safely to Earth.

The infrastructure of the Space Launch System creates additional problems. The cost of one of the launch towers recently reached $1.8 billion, and the Block 1B configuration developed by Boeing is significantly behind schedule.