The Office of Safety and Mission Assurance recently released NPR 8715.26, Nuclear Flight Safety, effective Feb. 3, 2022. The new NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) follows the 2019 National Security Presidential Memorandum-20 overhaul of the federal process for nuclear launch authorization of space nuclear systems and the 2020 release of  Space Policy Directive-6, which established a national strategy to ensure the development and use of space nuclear power and propulsion systems, “when appropriate to enable and achieve the scientific, exploration, national security, and commercial objectives of the United States.” The NPR also brings NASA policy into alignment with present day practices.

NASA updated its process for tailoring agency-level mission safety and mission success requirements, found in NPR 8715.3, NASA General Safety Program Requirements, Section 1.3, Relief from Agency-level SMA Requirements. Previously, they were documented in the now cancelled NASA-STD-8709.20, Management of Safety and Mission Assurance Technical Authority (TA) Requirements, in addition to the NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR).  

The latest issue of Orbital Debris Quarterly News (ODQN) is now available. This December 2021 issue includes the articles "Accidental Collision of YunHai 1-02," "Updated NASA Technical Standard for Limiting Orbital Debris" and "Experimental Hypervelocity Impacts of Non-Spherical Projectiles on Whipple Shields." 

Kevin Monette, NASA safety specialist at the Kennedy Space Center’s Resident Office at Vandenberg Space Force Base, was recognized as a “Yes, If” coin recipient on Oct. 18, 2021, for his constant commitment to safety on Launch Services Program missions.

NASA updated NASA-STD-8719.14, Process for Limiting Orbital Debris, effective Nov. 5, 2021. This revision focuses on changes and updates incorporated into the 2019 U.S. Government Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices (ODMSP), which include improvements to the original 2001 ODMSP objectives, as well as clarification and additional standard practices for special classes of space missions (Orbital Debris Quarterly News, Volume 24, Issue 1, Page 1 and Pages 4-8).  

Mission Assurance Standards and Capabilities Division Matt Forsbacka and Nuclear Flight Safety Assurance Manager Don Helton recently presented their paper “Evolution of NASA’s Nuclear Flight Safety Program to Meet Changing Needs” at the 11th International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety Conference. 

Representatives from NASA, the Department of the Air Force, National Transportation Safety Board, and Federal Aviation Administration form the Quad-Agency Working Group, which meets to build relationships between the organizations, allow them to learn how the others handle mishaps within their organizations and how they can work together on an investigation, should the need arise. The agencies also share best practices.

Changes to AS9101, Requirements for Conducting Audits of Aviation, Space, and Defense Quality Management Systems and to AS9104-1, Requirements for the Certification of Aviation, Space and Defense Quality Management System Certification Programs are introducing two new processes to the certification cycle for AS9100, Quality Systems – Aerospace – Model for Quality Assurance in Design, Development, Production, Installation and Servicing:  the Organization Certification Analysis Process and the Performance Based Surveillance/Recertification Process. The AS9104 series of standards describe the nature and governance of the Industry Controlled Other Party scheme used to execute and manage accreditation of certification bodies (i.e., registrars), auditors, training programs and certification of organizations to AS9100. 

NASA’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) recently released NPR 8715.24, Planetary Protection Provisions for Robotic Extraterrestrial Missions, effective Sept. 24, 2021. The new NASA Procedural Requirement (NPR) covers the agency’s new paradigm and overall approach to Planetary Protection and takes the place of the now cancelled NPR 8020.12D, Planetary Protection Provisions for Robotic Extraterrestrial Missions to integrate Planetary Protection. 

Recently, the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) updated its Planetary Protection policy for the Moon, including adding Category II sub-designations to accommodate missions to different regions. The new Category IIa and IIb designations reflect the importance of the Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs) to science and the Artemis generation of human exploration.