The latest issue of Orbital Debris Quarterly News is now available. See the latest updates as of March 2023. 

The latest issue of Orbital Debris Quarterly News (ODQN) is now available. This March 2022 issue includes the articles "The Intentional Destruction of Cosmos 1408," "Orbital Debris Engineering Model (ORDEM) 3.2 Release" and "Debris Assessment Software (DAS) 3.2.1 Release." Fragments from the Russian Anti-Satellite test in November 2021 were added to the new ORDEM and DAS. The timely release of the two models will help satellite operators better assess risks from Orbital Debris for the safe operations of their missions.

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." 

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. 

Captain Randy Cruz, former senior advisor to the NASA administrator, received a “Yes, If” coin on July 23, for serving as a constant advocate for Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) at NASA.

NASA-STD-8719.26A, NASA Requirements for Ground Based Non-Code Metallic Pressure Vessels went into effect May 11, 2021. This standard is intended to manage risk to personnel, facilities, missions and the environment posed by the use of existing ground-based, non-code metallic Pressure Vessels that either 1) do not comply with applicable American Society of Mechanical Engineers code requirements specified in Occupational Safety and Health Administration 29 CFR pt. 1910 regulations or 2) were modified and no longer comply with the code.

The NASA Software Assurance Research Program (SARP) is sponsoring four research projects in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 to benefit Software Assurance processes across the agency. The research program is aligned to support agency goals to improve how NASA performs Software Assurance activities.

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made headlines in April after successfully completing the first powered controlled flight by an aircraft on a planet besides Earth. Ingenuity’s tremendous success demonstrates the continuing evolution of NASA’s Risk Management processes for infusing commercial technologies into space missions. While rightly described as a “high-risk, high-reward” technology demonstration, Ingenuity is completely based on well-reasoned and disciplined engineering analysis and methodical risk identification and mitigation schemes.

The Office of Safety and Mission Assurance Layered Pressure Vessel Risk Mitigation project team designed software to simplify and improve calculations required by the ASTM E1921, Standard Test Method for Determination of Reference Temperature, T0, for Ferritic Steels in the Transition Range.

Though they may not know her by name, NASA employees are familiar with the programs, initiatives and products created by Dr. Tracy Dillinger. She manages two key programs for the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance: Safety Culture and Human Factors. She also served as the chair of the agency Safety Culture Working Group and agency Human Factors Task Force, is responsible for the NASA Safety Culture Survey, Safety Culture courses, NASA Human Factor Analysis and Classification training, the NASA Annual Human Factors report, and NASA Organizational Safety Assessments.