Is NASA’s SLS Doomed?

[tdracer]

A former supporter of SLS is withdrawing his support:

Long-time advocate of SLS rocket says it’s time to find an “off-ramp” - Ars Technica

On Wednesday, one of the Republican space policy leaders most consistently opposed to commercial heavy lift rockets over the last decade—as an alternative to NASA's large SLS rocket—has changed his mind.

"We need an off-ramp for reliance on the SLS," said Scott Pace, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, in written testimony. He issued the statement in advance of a hearing about US space policy, and the future of NASA's Artemis Moon program, before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

As part of his policy recommendations, Pace said NASA should seek to use commercial providers of heavy lift launch so that NASA can send "multiple" crew and cargo missions to the Moon each year. He notes that the SLS rocket is not reusable and is incapable of a high flight rate. "It has had one flight, but has trouble supporting one flight per year, much less congressional targets of two 'cores' per year," Pace said.