NASA vision not getting funded, experts find

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An ambitious vision to take people to the moon and Mars may fall apart before it even gets off the ground because of uncertain planning and inadequate funding, several experts said on Thursday.

A congressional report said NASA's replacement for the space shuttle, the Constellation Program, is in jeopardy, and members of Congress as well as at least one former astronaut agreed at a hearing on the issue.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office said the Constellation program, scheduled to begin by 2015, is troubled by engineering, funding and mechanical issues.

For instance, the program was meant to use heat shielding from the 1960s Apollo program, but experts apparently could not replicate the material.

Both the planned Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle and the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle are in danger, according to the report from the investigative arm of Congress.

"If something goes wrong with the development of the Ares I or the Orion, the entire Constellation Program could be thrown off course and the return to human spaceflight delayed," the report reads.

It noted that existing test facilities are insufficient for testing Ares I's new engine, including troublesome vibrations. Both vehicles also have had "weight issues," the report said.

"All these unknowns, as well as others, leave NASA in the position of being unable to provide firm cost estimates for the projects at this point," it reads.