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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?

Cliff Arnold

SMA Leadership Profile: Clifton Arnold

June 30, 2020
5-minute read

When asked about his new Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) role, Clifton Arnold joked that it came with many hats — in fact, more hats that he ever expected

“The position expanded,” explained Arnold. “Pressure Systems included ground and flight pressure systems. With that, Lifting Devices was added, and then we included a special category called Propellants and Pressurants that deals with all propellants and inert gases.

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Grant Watson

SMA Leadership Profile: Grant Watson

June 22, 2020
8-minute read

Grant Watson unknowingly spent his entire career preparing for his new role, a role that didn’t even exist until this year. As the director of the newly-formed Institutional Safety Management Division of the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, Watson’s 25 plus years in Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA), as well as his executive role as Langley Research Center’s SMA director, give him the knowledge and experience to succeed.

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Programming Code Abstract

NASA-STD-8739.8 Recently Updated

June 18, 2020
2-minute read

The Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) Software Assurance program recently updated NASA-STD-8739.8, NASA Software Assurance and Software Safety Standard — formerly NASA Software Assurance Standard.

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EEE Parts Bulletin

New Issue of EEE Parts Bulletin Now Available

June 10, 2020
1-minute read

The latest issue of the EEE Parts Bulletin covers news from the Electrical, Electronic and Electromechanical (EEE) Parts discipline from October 2019 through March 2020. 

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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 Audits, Reviews and Assessments April 27, 2020 See NPR 8705.6D    
NASA-HDBK-8709.22 Safety & Mission Assurance Acronyms, Abbreviations, & Definitions May 14, 2019 See NASA-HBDK-8709.22  
 NPR 8715.7B NASA Payload Safety Program April 27, 2020 See NASA-STD-8715.7B    
» More Policy Updates

Currently in Review

Currently in Review
Policy Title  
 NID XXXX.X  Biological Planetary Protection for Crewed Missions to Mars  
 NID XXXX.X Planetary Protection Categorization for Robotic and Crewed Missions to the Earth’s Moon   
NPR 8715.1 NASA Safety and Health Programs See NPR 8715.1
NASA-STD-8739.6 Implementation Requirements for NASA Workmanship Standards See NASA-STD-8739.6
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
NASA-STD-8739.14 NASA Fastener Procurement, Receiving Inspection, and Storage Practices for NASA Mission Hardware  
NASA-STD-8739.8
 Software Assurance and Software Safety Standard
 See NASA-STD-8739.8
NPR 8705.4A
 Risk Classification for NASA Payloads
 See NPR 8705.4
NPR 8735.2
 Hardware Quality Assurance Program Requirements for Programs and Projects
 See NPR 8735.2
» 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
NASA-STD-8719.7 Facility System Safety Guidebook  
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
STD or HDBK EEE Parts Selection, Screening, Qualification & Derating
NASA-STD-8719.13 Software Safety Standard See NASA-STD-8719.13
NASA-STD-8739.4 Workmanship Standard for Crimping Interconnecting Cables, Harnesses and Wiring See NASA-STD-8739.4
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  
NPD 8020.7 Biological Contamination Control for Outbound and Inbound Planetary Spacecraft See NPD 8020.7
NASA-STD-8709.20 Management of Safety and Mission Assurance Technical Authority (SMA TA) Requirement  
NASA-STD-8719.22 Alternate Standard for Non-Code Metallic Pressure Vessels  
NPR XXXX.X Nuclear Flight Safety  
» More Policy Updates