SLS isn't actually available and would have required considerable amount of extra work on Clipper that would have taken years. So no research is actually delaye

SLS isn't actually available and would have required considerable amount of extra work on Clipper that would have taken years. So no research is actually delayed. Clipper would have to have a schedule fight with Artemis and Clipper very likely would have lost that fight. SLS scaling is very slow so its very likely using SLS would have meant a later arrival. Either way, one of Clipper or Artemis would have been delayed, this is a 100% fact. So either way one timeline of an important project is delayed. You ask these scientists if they rather wait a little longer (again questionable) or if they would rather have 2-4 billion $ in extra research grants. That would be a more fair comparison. Now NASA can use that budget actually useful things rather then giving more money to Boeing.