Once U.S. astronauts make it back to the moon, it’ll be one small step for man and one giant leap for the federal budget.

A rocket launcher for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Artemis mission was supposed to be delivered in March 2023 for $383 million, according to the NASA Office of the Inspector General. Recent estimates from the agency’s IG say the launcher will be ready in September 2029 at a cost of $2.7 billion — a 600% price increase.

The Artemis IV launch scheduled for September 2028 at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center will endeavor to send four astronauts to the moon and the international Lunar Gateway space station.

But if the inspector general is correct, the rocket launcher won’t be ready until almost a year after the astronauts are scheduled to blast off.

The inspector general wrote that NASA “lacked a reliable cost and schedule estimate” for the rocket launcher and is not being held “accountable to Congress or other stakeholders.”

Much of the blame also falls on Bechtel National, the second largest construction company in the U.S.

The company’s “underestimation of project scope and complexity” caused so many delays that construction didn’t actually begin until August 2023 — five months after the rocket launcher was supposed to be finished.

Bechtel has used 1.7 million more hours of labor on the project than it originally estimated. Their original rocket launcher design was 500,000 pounds above the maximum weight limit, leading to an 18-month delay for redesign.

NASA has not accounted for the huge cost increases in its two latest budget requests to Congress, meaning the rocket launcher may “negatively impact other Agency programs and projects,” the audit said.

NASA disagrees with the inspector general and says the rocket launcher will be ready in 2027 at a final cost of $1.5 billion. About $1.1 billion has been spent since Bechtel was hired in 2019.

Bechtel has collected plenty of money from the federal government this year despite its poor performance with NASA.

The corporation has 23 active contracts with Washington, including one with the Department of Energy worth $15.3 billion to store liquid radioactive waste. Three others with the Department of Defense are worth at least $3 billion.

America’s first trip to the moon is remembered as a symbol of patriotism and scientific accomplishment. It’s possible this trip will be remembered for its astronomical cost.

(The #WasteOfTheDay is from forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com via RealClearWire.)