Summary

Recent events have reopened a gap between NASA's program plans and its likely budgets. NASA has not yet developed plans for closing this $5.3 billion gap projected for fiscal years 1996-2000. NASA closed the gap that GAO reported in 1992 primarily by changing and deleting some of its major programs. As a result of these changes, NASA increased the risks in several of its largest programs.

GAO found that: (1) recent events have reopened a gap between NASA program plans and its likely budgets; (2) NASA has not yet developed plans for closing this $5.3-billion gap projected for fiscal years 1996 through 2000; (3) NASA closed the gap GAO reported in 1992 primarily by changing and/or deleting some of its major programs; and (4) as a result of the changes, NASA increased the risks in several of its largest programs.