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SMA Leadership Profile Part 2: Nathan Vassberg

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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.

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Introducing BioSTAR: NASA’s Bioburden and Sampling Tool for Assessing Risk

2-minute read

The first release of NASA’s BioSTAR tool is here — and it’s ready to make life easier for Planetary Protection engineers across the agency! BioSTAR is an interactive, web-based tool that brings everything you need for estimating bioburden and building your Planetary Protection Equipment List (PPEL) together in one place.

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New Issue of EEE Parts Bulletin Now Available, July 2025

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The EEE Parts Bulletin for July 2025 provides recommendations on Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) control in semiconductor wafer fabrication.

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Metrology and Calibration Working Group Sets Calibration Policies at Annual Meeting

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Working Groups: Metrology and Calibration
NASA’s Metrology and Calibration Working Group (MCWG) in the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) convened its annual Technical Interface Meeting on July 25, 2025, at Glenn Research Center. Held in conjunction with the 2025 National Conference of Standards Laboratories International (NCSLI) Metrology Workshop and Symposium, this gathering brought together metrologists and calibration professionals from across NASA’s centers.
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SMA Leadership Profile: Johnny Nguyen

3-minute read
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As director of the Missions and Programs Assessment Division in the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, Johnny Nguyen leads Safety and Mission Assurance activities in support of NASA's diverse portfolio, including spacecraft, science payloads, launch vehicles, technology development and aeronautics.
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Change 1 Published to NASA-STD-7919.1, NASA Commercial Aviation Services Standard

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On May 5, 2025, NASA updated NASA-STD-7919.1, NASA Commercial Aviation Services (CAS) Standard to Change 1. The standard, published on July 10, 2024, provides technical requirements for commercial aircraft flight operations and Change 1 clarifies flight operations requirements. 
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High-Volume Manufacturing and Parts Engineering for Space Applications Forum

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In this webinar, Mark Porter, chief engineer for the Component Engineering and Assurance Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, provided insights on how to mitigate risk and maintain high standards in the design and integration of high-volume manufacturing parts produced for space missions.
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9 OSMA Employees Receive Yes, If Awards

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Russ DeLoach, NASA’s chief of Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA), recently presented seven employees with “Yes, If” awards to recognize their instrumental roles in support of NASA’s mission. Two NASA retirees also received "Yes, If" awards.

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Kennedy‘s Cipo Presented With Yes, If Award for Ongoing Safety Advocacy

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Zulaida (Zulie) Cipo, integration engineering support specialist for the Consolidated Operations, Management, Engineering and Test (COMET) contract at Kennedy Space Center, received the “Yes, If” award at a recent Office of Safety and Mission Assurance town hall meeting. Russ DeLoach, NASA’s chief of Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA), presented the award to Cipo in recognition of the initiatives she implemented to enhance safety at the center. 
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Burkhead and Wright Receive Yes, If Awards for Facilitating Learning Opportunity

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Russ DeLoach, NASA’s chief of Safety and Mission Assurance, presented David Burkhead and Logan Wright, Explosive Safety Program leads at Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), with “Yes, If” awards to celebrate the positive approach the pair took to address a Wallops Range Safety Manual violation.
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Zona Receives Yes, If Award for Safety Culture Contributions

3-minute read
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Russ DeLoach, NASA’s chief of Safety and Mission Assurance, presented U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Denise Zona, former Human Factors and Safety Culture interagency advisor, with the “Yes, If” award at the recent Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) town hall meeting. DeLoach presented this award in recognition of Zona’s agency contributions for fostering a culture of continuous improvement as the lead on the Organizational Risk Safety Assessment (ORSA).
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