Welcome to the OSMA Website

As NASA missions grow increasingly software‑intensive, software behavior has become one of the most critical contributors to system-level risk. A recent cross-program assessment was conducted using generative AI, extracting every hazard in the NASA Cross‑Program Hazard Tool that included a software element. The assessment showed a clear pattern: the same types of software hazards occur repeatedly across Orion, SLS, Ares I, Gateway and related systems.

Acting Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) Nathan Vassberg’s 35-year career has shaped him into a leader who blends technical depth with a big‑picture view of risk, culture and mission success. His vision centers on continuing to promote SMA as a trusted, collaborative partner. To Vassberg, this means enabling smart, informed risk decisions; providing clear guidance through insight, oversight and surveillance; adapting to mission needs; and modernizing tools, policies and processes without compromising safety.

NASA is building a Space Microbial Culture Collection (SMCC), a culture repository to house a diverse collection of microbial isolates from space-related research and exploration efforts. SMCC will store, curate and make these valuable biological resources available to the public.

Over the past 10 years, the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) Pressure Systems program facilitated a broader use of the NASGRO^® software for analyzing and sustaining pressure systems. By expanding the capabilities of NASGRO to incorporate Fitness-For-Service of ground-based pressure systems, NASA centers can take advantage of access to perpetual, royalty-free NASGRO licenses that realize a significant cost savings in agencywide software expenses.