NASA is in danger of not landing humans on Mars by its 2035 timetable because it remains woefully underfunded and is beset by management issues blocking the pathway of how to get to the Red Planet.

It looks like Elon Musk's SpaceX now stands the best chance of landing the first humans on Mars. SpaceX plans to do just that by 2025 -- but with NASA's technical assistance.

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In a scathing report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) declared NASA most probably won't complete its Space Launch System (SLS) that will take humans to Mars or the Orion crew capsule astronauts will ride in to land on Mars on time or on budget.

"Ideally, if these programs go forward, NASA would be taking actions to reduce the risks we see now, which are being caused by management issues," said GAO audit leader Cristina Chaplain.

"They're going to face the technical issues no matter what. But they're exacerbating them with management concerns, like not having accurate cost estimates."

GAO said if SLS and Orion go forward, NASA should be taking actions to reduce current risks caused by management issues. It also noted NASA is going to face the technical issues no matter what.

"But they're exacerbating them with management concerns, like not having accurate cost estimates."

GAO doubts NASA can stick to its mission schedule that will see a second SLS launch in Sept., 2018; a follow-up test launch that will include both the SLS and Orion and, eventually, a manned mission that will send astronauts to orbit the Moon in 2023.

The next step is the controversial Asteroid Redirect Mission where NASA will use a robot spacecraft to capture a near-Earth asteroid and deposit it into lunar orbit. The manned Mars landing is supposed to follow but this depends on whether the SLS and Orion will be ready by that time.

It says this probably won't happen because the Mars space program is underfunded. Worse, the main problem is that NASA doesn't have a clear long-term goal for its human spaceflight program. 

TagsNASA, Government Accountability Office, Mars, Space Launch System, Orion crew capsule