NASA killed a feature nobody was using. Detroit’s product planners will recognize the move.
In February, Administrator Jared Isaacman cancelled the Exploration Upper Stage and froze SLS at its “Block 1” build, permanently.
Artemis III, once billed as the first crewed Moon landing since Apollo 17, is now an Earth-orbit docking test between Orion & lander prototypes from SpaceX and Blue Origin. The landing slid to Artemis IV, 2028.
His logic was pure platform strategy: standardize on one configuration, even capped, because variant complexity had atrophied flight rate, Artemis II flew three years after Artemis I.
Same trade Toyota and VW made collapsing platforms into TNGA & MQB, fewer variants, tighter supplier qualification, faster iteration.
The build side backs it up. L3Harris now machines RS-25 engines using selective laser melting and hot isostatic pressing, targeting 30% lower unit cost from engine seven of twenty-four on a Shuttle-heritage engine redesigned expendable, no clean-sheet needed.
Standardize the platform. Modernize the process. Ship. That’s a manufacturing strategy memo.
What are your views on this?
