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    The Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) assures the safety and enhances the success of all NASA activities. Take a look around our website to learn what's happening in NASA's Safety and Mission Assurance community, including updates on disciplines, programs, policies and personnel.

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What's Happening in the SMA Community?

Solar System

NASA to Discuss Planetary Protection Review’s Findings and Recommendations

October 17, 2019
1-minute read

NASA recently announced a media teleconference that will take place at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, Friday, Oct. 18, to discuss recommendations presented by the Planetary Protection Independent Review Board, established in June 2019 by Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. 

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Jennifer Kunz

SMA Leadership Profile: Jennifer Kunz

October 16, 2019
6-minute read

Jennifer Kunz, Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) director at Kennedy Space Center, believes everyone should have a life quote that defines how he or she operates.

“You’ll hear something some time and it will resonate with you,” she explained. “When you hear it, write it down.”

Personally, she’s guided by

“When you’re good, you will tell people; when you’re great, they will tell you.”

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Safe

Requirement Amendment for Storage and Distribution of Small Arms Ammunition

October 03, 2019
2-minute read

The Explosives and Pyrotechnics Safety program recently updated its policy regarding the storage and distribution of small arms ammunition.

Managing the oversight of ammunition affects both the Explosives and Pyrotechnics Safety program and center security offices, and requires careful definition of responsibilities and processes to eliminate redundant activities between the two groups.

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ASTRO CAMPS®

Update to Explosives Standard to Have Positive Impact on NASA Outreach

October 03, 2019
7-minute read

An update to NASA-STD-8719.12A, Safety Standard for Explosives, Propellants, and Pyrotechnics added a new section to the standard that applies only to model rockets that makes them exempt from general explosives requirements that were unnecessarily prohibitive in this context. As a result, NASA’s outreach programs will have an easier time using model rockets for educational purposes.

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NASA Safety Reporting

NASA Safety Reporting

Learn more about reporting safety concerns at NASA.
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Featured Safety Message


SM-Jul19-Thumb

Risk Versus Risk Trades

July 01, 2019

As explorers and scientists, we at NASA have been making risk trades since the beginning. This safety message illustrates risk trades such as taking one risk versus another risk, as compared to taking a risk to gain a benefit. Which option seems to give the best opportunity to succeed? When decisions are time-critical and you have minutes or seconds to decide, the first workable option based upon experience (training and operations), skill, and systems knowledge can save the day.

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Office of Safety and Mission Assurance

What We Do

The Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) assures the safety and enhances the success of all NASA activities through the development, implementation and oversight of agency-wide safety, reliability, maintainability and quality assurance policies and procedures. OSMA includes the Mission Support Division, Safety and Assurance Requirements Division, and NASA Safety Center, as well as the Independent Verification and Validation Facility.

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Policy Status Updates

Recently Published

Recently Published
Policy Title Effective Date    
NASA-STD-8719.12A Safety Standard for Explosives, Propellants, and Pyrotechnics Sept. 26, 2019 See NASA-STD-8719.12  
NPR 8705.6D Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) Audits, Reviews, and Assessments
 March 29, 2019 See NPR 8705.6  
NASA-STD-8719.14B Process for Limiting Orbital Debris April 25, 2019 See NASA-STD-8719.14  
NPD 8730.2C, With Change 2 NASA Parts Policy April 2, 2019 See NPD 8730.2  
NASA-HDBK-8709.22 Safety & Mission Assurance Acronyms, Abbreviations, & Definitions May 14, 2019 See NASA-HDBK-8709.22  
» More Policy Updates

Currently in Review

Currently in Review
Policy Title  
NASA-STD-8719.11 Safety Standard for Fire Protection See NASA-STD-8719.11
NPR 8621.1 Mishap and Close Call Reporting, Investigating, and Recordkeeping See NPR 8621.1 
NPR 8715.7 Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) Payload Safety Program See NPR 8715.7
» More Policy Updates

Upcoming Reviews

Upcoming Reviews To see that latest draft of a policy or participate in a review, please send us a request.
Policy Title  
NPD 8700.1 NASA Policy for Safety and Mission Success See NPD 8700.1
NPR 8715.1 NASA Occupational Safety and Health Programs See NPR 8715.1
NPR 8735.2 Management of Government Quality Assurance Functions for NASA Contracts See NPR 8735.2
NASA-STD-6008 NASA Fastener Procurement, Receiving Inspection, and Storage Practices for Spaceflight Hardware See NASA-STD-6008
NASA-STD-8719.7 Facility System Safety Guidebook  
NPR 8705.4 Risk Classification for NASA Payloads See NPR 8705.4
NPR 8715.3 NASA General Safety Program Requirements (Chapter 6 only) See NPR 8715.3
NPD 8730.5 NASA Quality Assurance Program Policy See NPD 8730.5
NPR 8020.12 Planetary Protection Provisions for Robotic Extraterestrial Missions See NPR 8020.12
NASA-STD-8739.6 Implementation Requirements for NASA Workmanship Standards See NASA-STD-8739.6
STD or HDBK EEE Parts Selection, Screening, Qualification & Derating
NASA-STD-8719.13 Software Safety Standard See NASA-STD-8719.13
NASA-STD-8739.8 Software Assurance Standard See NASA-STD-8739.8
NPR Nuclear Flight Safety
NASA-STD-8719.24 NASA Expendable Launch Vehicle Payload Safety Requirements
NASA-STD-8719.24 Annex Annex to NASA Expendable Launch Vehicle Payload Safety Requirements  
NASA-STD-8739.1 Workmanship Standard for Polymeric Application on Electronic Assemblies See NASA-STD-8739.1
NASA-STD-8739.5 Workmanship Standard for Fiber Optic Terminations, Cable Assemblies, and Installation See NASA-STD-8739.5
STD Planetary Protection  
» More Policy Updates