Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ardavan Alamoutinia, 36, of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and restitution of $3,177,376 by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez for…

For nearly 25 years, NASA researchers have used pairs of satellites flying in tandem to track water movement and surface mass changes across Earth. Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment-Continuity (GRACE-C) is the third iteration of this mission. Like its predecessors,…

Charleston, West Virginia—On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, McCayla Myers, 27, of Charleston, was sentenced to one year of federal probation and ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined for aiding and abetting theft of government money and…

Charleston, West Virginia—United States Attorney Moore Capito announced a guilty plea today as part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Small Business Administration, and the SBA Office of Inspector General targeting…

Ohio State University (OSU), a public university in Columbus, Ohio, has agreed to pay a total of $2,100,000 to resolve civil allegations that it failed to disclose OSU employees’ affiliations with and support from the People’s Republic of China (PRC)…

Tucson, Arizona—Last week, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned an indictment against Davide Velarde, 44, of Tucson for making materially false statements on background investigation forms to obtain employment with federal contractors for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration…

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the Moon. Exactly 33 years later—on July 20, 2002—undercover agents from the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Federal Bureau of Investigation…

Securing America’s future in space requires protecting vital assets on Earth and in orbit, while also pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery. Former NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) SkillBridge Fellow Arthur “AJ” Thibert has forged a unique career at…

Over the last 15 years, NASA and U.S. private industry have joined forces to develop multiple spacecraft capable of safely ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Today, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report…

Under the Commercial Crew Program, SpaceX and Boeing were selected to develop U.S.-based crew transportation capabilities that would be certified by NASA to meet human-rating requirements and begin routine flights to the International Space Station. The SpaceX Crew Dragon received…

NASA’s reformulation of the Artemis campaign to meet the Administration’s national space policy goals resulted in the termination or repurposing of Artemis-related systems including the Exploration Upper Stage, Universal Stage Adapter, Mobile Launcher 2, and Gateway Habitation and Logistics Outpost.…

Propelling Americans to the Moon and beyond starts with protecting NASA research here on Earth. Senior Official Robert Steinau testified before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee on targeting fraud in Agency-funded grants to safeguard…

To propel missions throughout the solar system, NASA owns and operates two primary launch sites: Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Launch cadence at both locations has increased dramatically in recent years due to a…

NASA relies on large and highly complex facilities and infrastructure, such as launch pads, utility systems, and transportation networks, to launch missions from Kennedy Space Center and Wallops Flight Facility. However, NASA’s launch infrastructure is dated and often does not…

The Payment Integrity Information Act was enacted to improve efforts to identify and reduce federal improper payments—payments the federal government should not have made or made in an incorrect amount under statutory, contractual, administrative, or other legally applicable requirements. NASA…

As NASA charts a course for the Moon, Mars, and beyond, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) safeguards the resources and public trust needed to go the distance. Today, the OIG released its Semiannual Report to Congress, which highlights audits,…

As required by the Inspector General Act of 1978, the NASA Office of Inspector General issues its Semiannual Report to Congress summarizing the OIG’s activities and accomplishments from October 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.

Elevated privileges grant users broad authority to modify configurations, access sensitive data, and control critical system functions of NASA information systems. IT privileges can pose security risks if not properly controlled. In the two elevated privileges accounts that we reviewed,…

Charleston, West Virginia—McCayla Myers, 27, of Cabin Creek, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting theft of government money. Myers admitted to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $83,332.00 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the…

When Michael Moussalli pictured himself at NASA, he didn’t aspire to be an astronaut performing spacewalks, an engineer designing rovers, or a planetary scientist mapping distant moons. Instead, he wanted to master the business side of space exploration, ensuring ground-breaking…

Beckley, West Virginia—Ross Jay Bailey, 50, of Cool Ridge, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation, including two years on home detention, and ordered to pay $1,596,301.46 in restitution for theft of government money. Bailey obtained a $2…

To ensure humanity’s successful return to the Moon and continue performing spacewalks outside the International Space Station (ISS), NASA needs next-generation spacesuits with enhanced capabilities. Today, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a new report assessing the Agency’s efforts…

NASA awarded contracts to Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace in 2022 to compete to provide next-generation spacesuits for Artemis lunar missions and ISS operations. However, NASA and Collins agreed to remove the company’s task orders in 2024 citing an inability…

NASA Exchanges operate cafeterias, gift shops, and other businesses to generate funds used to promote and manage employee morale activities like child development and fitness centers. Exchanges are required to obtain an annual audit or review of their financial statements…

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ardavan Alamoutinia, 33, of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez on one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, 10…

Wheeling, West Virginia—A former Wheeling business owner has admitted to fraud totaling nearly $300,000 in COVID relief funds, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. Bradley Temple, 48, of Delray Beach, Florida (formerly of Wheeling, WV) pled guilty to unlawful money…

The Artemis campaign aims to return humans to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. To accomplish this feat, NASA has partnered with commercial vendors to develop landers that will ferry astronauts to and from the lunar…

NASA is working with SpaceX and Blue Origin to develop lunar landers that will enable crew to descend to the lunar surface, temporarily live and work there, and ascend back to lunar orbit. While NASA has controlled contract costs and…

The former president of a defunct Eastern Iowa telecommunications infrastructure business, who concealed assets and otherwise made false statements under penalty of perjury in his personal bankruptcy proceeding, was convicted on all counts by a jury on February 28, 2026,…

As a signals intelligence analyst, Caleb Yankee is a digital detective who analyzes the data trails that foreign adversaries leave behind through their phones, photos, social media, and other communications channels. After 4 years in the United States Army, he…