President Obama wasted no time signing into law the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 (S. 454). Less than 24 hours after the bill received final approval in Congress, the President signed the measure on May 22, 2009 at a ceremony in the Rose Garden. Read the President’s remarks.

See our previous stories on May 21 and May 20.

Space Acquisitions: Challenges in Commercializing Technologies Developed Under the Small Business Innovation Research Program. GAO-11-21. November 2010. (41 pages)

Global Positioning System: Challenges in Sustaining and Upgrading Capabilities Persist. GAO-10-636, September 2010. (68 pages)

Space Acquisitions: DOD Poised to Enhance Space Capabilities, but Persistent Challenges Remain in Developing Space Systems, Testimony by Cristina Chaplain, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, Senate Committee on Armed Services. GAO-10-447T, March 10, 2010.

Status of GAO Recommendations to the Department of Defense (Fiscal Years 2001-2008). GAO-10-211R, December 16, 2009. (44 pages)

Defense Acquisitions: Challenges in Aligning Space System Components. GAO-10-55, October 29, 2009. (43 pages)

Polar-Orbiting Environmental Satellites: With Costs Increasing and Data Continuity at Risk, Improvements Needed in Tri-agency Decision Making. GAO-09-564, June 17, 2009. (52 pages)

Polar-Orbiting Satellites: With Costs Increasing and Data Continuity at Risk, Improvements Needed in Tri-agency Decision Making, TestImony by David A. Powner, director, information technology management issues before the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, House Committee on Science and Technology. GAO-09-772T, June 17, 2009. (10 pages)

Space Acquisitions: DOD Faces Substantial Challenges in Developing New Space Systems Testimony by Cristina Chaplain, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, Senate Armed Services Committee. GAO-09-705T, May 20, 2009 (20 pages)

Global Positioning System: Significant Challenges in Sustaining and Upgrading Widely Used Capabilities. GAO-09-670T, May 7, 2009. Testimony by Cristina Chaplain, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. (15 pages)

Global Positioning System: Significant Challenges in Sustaining and Upgrading Widely Used Capabilities. GAO-09-325, April 30, 2009 (61 pages)

Space Acquisitions: Government and Industry Partners Face Substantial Challenges in Developing New DOD Space Systems. Testimony by Cristina Chaplain, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, House Committee on Armed Services. GAO-09-648T, April 30, 2009.

Defense Acquisitions: Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs GAO-09-326SP, March 30, 2009
(190 pages)

Includes assessments of the following DOD space programs: Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) communications satellites, Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS), Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIIA, National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS), Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIF, Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) High, Space-Based Space Surveillance Block 10, and the Transformational Satellite Communications System (TSAT).

Space Acquisitions: DOD’s Goals for Resolving Space Based Infrared System Software Problems Are Ambitious GAO-08-1073 September 30, 2008 (30 pages)

Space Acquisitions: Uncertainties in the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program Pose Management and Oversight Challenges GAO-08-1039 September 26, 2008 (45 pages)

Defense Space Activities: DOD Needs to Further Clarify the Operationally Responsive Space Concept and Plan to Integrate and Support Future Satellites GAO-08-831 July 11, 2008 (32 pages)

Environmental Satellites: Polar-orbiting Satellite Acquisition Faces Delays; Decisions Needed on Whether and How to Ensure Climate Data Continuity GAO-08-899T June 19, 2008 (34 pages)

Environmental Satellites: Polar-orbiting Satellite Acquisition Faces Delays; Decisions Needed on Whether and How to Ensure Climate Data Continuity GAO-08-518 May 16, 2008 (53 pages)

Space Acquisitions: DOD Is Making Progress to Rapidly Deliver Low Cost Space Capabilities, but Challenges Remain GAO-08-516 April 25, 2008 (21 pages)

Defense Space Activities: National Security Space Strategy Needed to Guide Future DOD Space Efforts GAO-08-431R March 27, 2008 (15 pages)

Space Acquisitions: Major Space Programs Still at Risk for Cost and Schedule Increases
GAO-08-552T March 4, 2008 (21 pages)

The House unanimously agreed to the conference report on the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act (S. 454, conference report H. Rept. 111-124) on May 21, 2009, clearing the measure for the President. The Senate unanimously approved the conference report a day earlier. President Obama is expected to sign the bill.

Thanks to Aviation Week’s Amy Butler for posting the Air Force’s unfunded requirements list for FY2010 on her blog so that is available on the Web. Third on the list of 20 items is $103 million for the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) program. Of the 18 unclassified programs on the list, it is the only space program.

Air Force officials explained at two congressional hearings this week (view SASC webcast, HASC webcast yet to be posted), the Air Force is currently building the first operational satellite in this series, ORS Sat-1, in response to an urgent requirement from U.S. Central Command. It is a milestone driven program, and if it passes its next milestone this summer, funds will be needed for it to meet a 2010 delivery date. A second satellite is needed to meet operational requirements for which funding also is required. The funding is not included in the current FY2010 budget request. Gary Payton, Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force for Space Programs, explained at the Senate hearing that if ORS Sat-1 does not meet the summer milestone, the program will continue, but at a slower pace.

House and Senate conferees reached agreement on May 19, 2009 on legislation (H.R. 2101/S. 454) to reform the defense acquisition process. GAO earlier had reported that for DOD’s 96 major acquisition programs in 2008, total R&D costs were 42% higher than originally estimated and the programs experienced an average delay of 22 months in delivering initial capabilities.

According to Congress Daily (subscription required), the conference version of the legislation would create within DOD a Director for Developmental Test and Evaluation and a Director for Systems Engineering, and require the Secretary of Defense to designate a senior official to conduct performance assessments for and analyze the root causes of problems with weapons systems. Conferees reportedly agreed with a provision that presumes that any program that exceeds costs by more than 25% will be terminated. If the program is not canceled, it must be restructured and go through its last major review again. (The term “weapons systems” includes major DOD space programs.)