U.S. military space efforts face rising costs, delays

[Eugene]

U.S. military space efforts face rising costs, delays
Wed Aug 24, 2005 1:53 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Multibillion-dollar U.S. military space programs
face rising costs and delays, raising serious questions about the
viability of some of these ambitious programs, defense analysts say.

But industry and government officials argue that space has become so
integral to modern war -- providing key targeting, navigational and
reconnaissance data -- that Congress and the military have little choice
but to continue pumping increasingly scarce money into these programs.

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Congressional aides say they expect tough hearings and debate on
space programs, which account for about $25 billion of classified and
unclassified spending each year, as lawmakers hammer out details of
the 2006 budget this fall.

Thompson said lawmakers had ample reason for concern.

"Every one of the next-generation constellations (of satellites) being
developed has encountered unanticipated cost growth, schedule slippage
and technical difficulties," he wrote in a report to be formally
issued next month.

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Full article: http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2005-08-24T175327Z_01_SCH464301_RTRIDST_0_USREPORT-ARMS-SPACE-DC.XML