• Welcome to the OSMA Website

    Take a Look Around

    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.

Latest News

What's Happening in the SMA Community?

Ingenuity Helicopter to Take Flight in April

Ingenuity Helicopter to Take Flight in April

April 08, 2021
3-minute read

The Mars Ingenuity Helicopter will take its first steps toward demonstrating powered flight in the Martian atmosphere, with a first attempt at a powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet scheduled for no earlier than April 8, 2021. The helicopter rode to Mars in the Perseverance Rover's belly pan and will be deployed for flight testing from the red planet's surface in April. 

Read More
NPR 8735.2 Sees Complete Rewrite in Revision C

NPR 8735.2 Sees Complete Rewrite in Revision C

April 08, 2021
11-minute read

Recent updates to NPR 8735.2, Hardware Quality Assurance Program Requirements for Programs and Projects consolidate Office of Safety and Mission Assurance policy into a hierarchy, make life cycle Quality Assurance more obvious without increasing prescription, and present approaches and solutions for a set of mission assurance objectives. 

Read More
Digital Transformation

Help NASA With Its Digital Transformation Strategy

March 30, 2021
3-minute read

NASA’s Safety and Mission Assurance Reliability and Maintainability team is progressing with its Digital Transformation strategy to create solutions that enable seamless data flow and collaboration across centers. Integrating digital technologies will streamline engineering processes and data acquisition, share data among missions and centers seamlessly, leverage tools and technology across the agency, and ensure mission success through knowledge and influence.

Read More
CIVA Sectorial Scan Model

Langley Unveils NDE Simulation and Modeling Tools

March 19, 2021
1-minute read

Langley Research Center is actively using state-of-the-art Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) modeling and simulation tools to accelerate the adoption of advanced materials and ensure the safety of aging infrastructure.

Read More
View All Articles

NASA Safety Reporting

NASA Safety Reporting

Learn more about reporting safety concerns at NASA.
Learn More

Yes, If Program

At NASA, safety is our first priority. When the possibility of something comes into question, our response should begin with, "Yes, if" instead of "No, because." Those who have exemplified this spirit of ingenuity, creativity and commitment to safety have received the "Yes, If" coin from the current chief of Safety and Mission Assurance. Recognize a NASA colleague who you believe should earn a "Yes, If" coin.

yes-if-coin

Learn More About Yes, If Program

Featured Safety Message


nasa-nsc-smdec-thumb-lessons-from-challenger

Lessons From Challenger

January 04, 2021

This Jan. 28, marks the 35th anniversary of the Challenger accident. The loss of the crew was a tragedy felt by their families, friends and coworkers at the agency, as well as people throughout the world.

The Challenger accident taught us tough lessons and brought forward what have become recognizable phrases: normalization of deviance, organizational silence and silent safety program.

Learn More Archive

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.

Learn More

Policy Status Updates

Recently Published

Recently Published
Policy Title Effective Date    
NPR 8715.1B NASA Safety and Health Programs Feb. 1, 2021 See NPR 8715.1B  
NASA-STD 8719.12  Safety Standard for Explosives, Propellants and Pyrotechnics March 18, 2021 See NASA-STD-8719.12  
 NPR 8735.2 Hardware Quality Assurance Program Requirements for Programs and Projects March 15, 2021 See NPR 8735.2  
 NID XXXX.X Planetary Protection Categorization for Robotic and Crewed Missions to the Earth's Moon  July 9, 2020      
 NID XXXX.X  Biological Planetary Protection for Human Mission to Mars  July 9, 2020      
NPR 8621.1D Mishap and Close Call Reporting, Investigating and Recordkeeping  July 6, 2020 See NPR-8621.1D    
NPR 8705.6D  Safety and Mission Assurance Audits, Reviews and Assessments April 27, 2020 See NPR 8705.6D    
NASA-STD 8739.6B Implementation Requirements for NASA Workmanship Standards Feb. 4, 2021 See NASA-STD 8739.6B  
NPR 8715.7B NASA Payload Safety Program March 4, 2021 See NPR 8715.7B    
NASA-STD-8739.14 NASA Fastener Procurement, Receiving Inspection, and Storage Practices for NASA Mission Hardware  June 2, 2020 See NASA-STD-8739.14    
NASA STD-8739.8A Software Assurance and Software Safety Standard June 10, 2020 See NASA-STD-8739.8    
NASA STD-8719.11B  Standard for Fire Protection and Life Safety Aug. 20, 2020 See NASA-STD-8719.11B  
 NPD 8710.5 Policy for Pressure Vessels and Pressurized Systems Feb. 1, 2021    
» More Policy Updates

Currently in Review

Currently in Review
Policy Title  
NASA-STD-8739.12  Metrology and Calibration  
NPR 8000.4 Agency Risk Management Procedural Requirement  
NASA-STD-8709.20 Management of Safety and Mission Assurance Technical Authority (SMA TA) Requirements  
 NPR 8715.3  General Safety Program Requirements  
 NPR XXXX.X  Nuclear Flight Safety  
NASA-STD-8719.24B Annex Annex to NASA Expendable Launch Vehicle Payload Safety Requirements  
NASA-STD-8719.24A NASA Expendable Launch Vehicle Payload Safety Requirements  
NPR 8715 Draft 25 Planetary Protection Provisions for Robotic Extraterrestrial Missions (Previous document number 8020.12)  
NASA-STD-8719.26 Alternate/Supplemental Standard for Non-Code Metallic Pressure Vessels (Previous document number 8719.22)  
NPR 8705.4A
 Risk Classification for NASA Payloads
 See NPR 8705.4
» 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  
NPR 8715.6 NASA Procedural Requirements for Limiting Orbital Debris and Evaluating the Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Environments  
NPD 8700.1 NASA Policy for Safety and Mission Success See NPD 8700.1
NASA-STD 8719.17 NASA Requirements for Ground-Based Pressure Vessels and Pressurized Systems (VPS)  
NASA-STD-8719.9  Lifting Standard  
NASA-STD-8719.25  Range Flight Safety Requirements  
 NPR 8621.1 NASA Procedural Requirements for Mishap and Close Call Reporting, Investigating and Recordkeeping  
NPD 8730.5 NASA Quality Assurance Program Policy See NPD 8730.5
STD or HDBK EEE Parts Selection, Screening, Qualification & Derating
NASA-STD-8739.4 Workmanship Standard for Crimping Interconnecting Cables, Harnesses and Wiring See NASA-STD-8739.4
NPR Nuclear Flight Safety
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  
NPD 8020.7 Biological Contamination Control for Outbound and Inbound Planetary Spacecraft See NPD 8020.7
» More Policy Updates