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Audit of Government Property for the Artemis Campaign

As of February 2025, NASA had allocated over $26 billion in government property to contractors in support of six Artemis programs. Although NASA has policies in place to manage its government property, the Agency can strengthen its oversight by ensuring consistent application of those policies to decrease the risk of unnecessary costs and potential loss, […]

NASA’s Approach to Infrastructure and Operational Resilience

NASA missions are dependent on infrastructure, including testing facilities, laboratories, and launch pads, that face the threat of extreme weather events. To address weather-related vulnerabilities of its infrastructure, NASA has integrated resilience efforts into existing processes across various Agency programs. However, this approach lacks clear communication and formal guidance, and the Agency is not effectively […]

New Audit Identifies Opportunities to Strengthen Standing Review Board Oversight and Effectiveness

Today, the NASA Office of Inspector General issued a new audit examining the Agency’s Standing Review Board (SRB) process, which provides independent assessments of programs and projects to improve performance and reduce risk. SRBs are a vital component of NASA’s system of checks and balances to enhance transparency, accountability, and cooperation. They are composed of […]

NASA’s Standing Review Board Practices

Standing Review Boards (SRB) conduct independent assessments of programs and projects and offer recommendations to improve performance and reduce risk. However, the SRB process lacks Agency-level oversight, improved SRB composition and training can add greater value to the assessments, improvements are needed to ensure adequacy of SRB engagement and accuracy of information provided to decision-makers, […]

Evaluation of NASA’s Information Security Program under the Federal Information Security Modernization Act for Fiscal Year 2025

The Federal Information Security Modernization Act requires the Office of Inspector General to conduct an annual evaluation of NASA’s information security program. For fiscal year 2025, we rated NASA’s information security program at a Level 3—meaning policies, procedures, and strategies were consistently implemented, but quantitative and qualitative effectiveness measures were lacking—a rating that falls short […]

NASA Investigators Safeguard Scientific Integrity by Exposing University Grant Fraud

To propel Americans to the Moon and beyond, NASA has made significant investments that fuel innovation here on Earth. Each year, the Agency offers grants and cooperative agreements that support research at institutions across the United States. In order to maintain the nation’s competitive advantage and protect national security, federal law prohibits these grant recipients […]

Assessing NASA’s Strategy to Protect Earth from Hazardous Asteroids and Comets

In December 2024, a NASA-funded telescope spotted an asteroid called 2024 YR4 that had a small but growing chance of hitting Earth. The observation sparked public interest and made headlines around the world, as astronomers worked to plot future trajectories. Although the calculations ultimately determined 2024 YR4 did not pose a threat, the event underscored […]

Evaluating NASA’s Planetary Defense Strategy to Ensure Long-Term Success

Today, the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a new audit report assessing the Agency’s planetary defense strategy. Asteroids and comets that come within 30 million miles of the Earth’s orbit are known as near-Earth objects (NEO). To protect the planet from potentially hazardous impacts, NASA leads the nation’s NEO research and detection efforts, […]

NASA’s Implementation and Management of Its Planetary Defense Strategy

NASA leads the nation’s planetary defense efforts to address the potential hazards of asteroids and comets impacting Earth. While the Agency has made significant progress in its planetary defense mission, multiple challenges hinder its ability to fully execute its planetary defense strategic goals. Further, actions are needed to address the role of ground-based assets in […]

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