Refurbishment of ground systems after the Artemis 1 mission could delay the launch of Artemis 2, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office.

The Oct. 17 report by the GAO on NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) program, which supports Space Launch System and Orion missions, concluded that while many elements of the program are nearing completion, there is no schedule margin remaining for activities that must be completed before the planned September 2025 launch of Artemis 2.

"According to EGS program officials, the program is executing its refurbishment plan to support the planned September 2025 launch date," the GAO stated in the report. "However, the program has no schedule margin remaining for the activities that must be completed prior to launch."

The report noted that, when NASA announced in March that it was delaying the Artemis 2 mission from late 2024 to September 2025 because of issues with the Orion spacecraft, that provided three months of schedule margin to EGS. However, that margin was consumed by June because of issues with testing of the mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B.

The GAO warned that any issues that arise during testing or integration of EGS elements could delay the Artemis 2 launch. "EGS program officials stated that the program is currently operating with no schedule margin, and any issues identified during testing or integration could result in delays to the planned September 2025 launch date," the report stated.

That skepticism about the ability to maintain the September 2025 launch date contrasts with the optimism expressed by NASA leadership. At the International Astronautical Congress Oct. 2, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the mission was on schedule. "We're right on time for Artemis 2," he said.

The GAO recommended that NASA conduct a formal schedule risk analysis, noting that the agency had not done so since 2018. NASA, in a response included in the report, said it would use various risk and schedule management tools but did not commit to a formal schedule risk analysis.

The report also looked at the status of Mobile Launcher 2 (ML-2), needed for Artemis 4 and future SLS Block 1B missions. That project has suffered cost overruns and schedule delays blamed on its prime contractor, Bechtel. The GAO noted that NASA's inspector general concluded in an August report that ML-2 would not be ready to support a 2028 launch of Artemis 4.

The GAO recommended that NASA conduct a formal schedule risk analysis for ML-2 as well, given its importance for future Artemis missions. NASA partially concurred, stating it would "continue to utilize various risk and schedule management tools" to assess the ML-2 schedule.

The report is the latest in a series of warnings by government watchdogs about the ability of NASA to maintain its Artemis schedule. A Sept. 7 report by the NASA Office of Inspector General warned of "considerable risk" to plans to return humans to the lunar surface on the Artemis 3 mission because of development of the Human Landing System by SpaceX and spacesuits by Axiom Space.

In an Oct. 17 speech at the von Braun Space Exploration Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy acknowledged the challenges the agency faces with Artemis but argued it was making progress. "I know it doesn't always feel like it, but we are moving fast," she said. "We're learning as we go and we're adapting."