infrastructureScore 40/100Watch
SLS rocket procurement model (government design + industry build) cited as cautionary example for ISS replacement; suggests risk of cost overruns and schedule delays if applied to commercial LEO destination
Max Haot· Launcher / Vast· Space· 2026-05-14
“Industry will build it in the same way as industries build the SLS rocket, but it's a very different approach than the promised commercialization approach.”
Why it matters
SLS has become a cautionary tale in space procurement: massive cost overruns and schedule delays. VAST's implicit critique suggests that applying the SLS procurement model to ISS replacement would repeat these problems.
Investment implication
Contractors involved in government-designed, government-owned ISS replacement (e.g., Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman) face higher execution risk and longer timelines if SLS-style procurement is adopted. Commercial contractors would benefit from competitive, fixed-price commercial model.