NASA announced on Friday that it is shutting down a more than $2 billion project to test satellite servicing such as fueling in space, citing increased costs and scheduling delays.
The space agency announced in October that the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) project’s costs continue to rise and are projected to exceed the $2.05 billion price tag and December 2026 launch date.
NASA on Friday cited “continued technical, cost, and schedule challenges, as well as a broader community evolution away from refueling unprepared spacecraft, which has led to a lack of a committed partner” as reasons for terminating the project.
Much of the project’s cost growth and scheduling delays could be attributed to the “poor” performance of contractor Maxar, NASA said in October.
Maxar was previously contracted by NASA in 2019 to help build its Gateway platform in lunar orbit, a crucial outpost for America’s first mission to relay astronauts to the moon.
