The Metrology and Calibration (MetCal) Working Group (MCWG) held its annual Technical Interchange Meeting (TIM) April 25-28, 2022, at NASA Wallops Flight Facility. Agency MetCal representatives, calibration laboratory managers, metrologists and other experts from associated fields across all of NASA’s 10 field centers, and two component centers, met in-person and virtually at this hybrid event to discuss technical challenges, best practices and improvements related to the agency’s MetCal program. 

NASA uses the Programmable Josephson Voltage Standard (PJVS) to ensure the agency’s calibrations include the most accurate voltage measurement with the lowest measurement uncertainty possible. 

Fluke Calibration recently announced a new educational center for free online training aimed at metrologists and calibration professionals. 

The U.K.’s National Measurement Institute — National Physics Lab (NPL) — recently made its full suite of e-Learning training courses available for free through June 30, 2020. According to the NPL website, this was in acknowledgement that “Operating remotely and working from home has become a new reality for many and employers, employees and students alike are all looking for ways to adapt.”

The Office of Safety and Mission Assurance’s Metrology and Calibration (MetCal) Program recently released “Handling, Transport, Storage, & Shipping of Measuring & Test Equipment” in SATERN. This one-hour course provides an overview of the proper physical handling, transporting, storing and shipping of Measuring and Test Equipment to help ensure it will continue to meet its accuracy specifications.

The NASA Metrology and Calibration Program released a new course in SATERN, “NASA Metrology and Calibration Program Requirements Overview.”

The NASA Metrology and Calibration Program released a new course in SATERN, “More Than a Sticker: The Importance of Calibrating Measuring and Test Equipment.”

The NASA Metrology and Calibration (MetCal) Program released a new course in SATERN, “4:1 Test Accuracy Ratio for Compliance with ANSI/NCSL Z540.1-1994 (R2002) Sub-clause 10.2.b,” (SMA-HQ-WBT-217).

At the recommendation of the NASA Metrology and Calibration (MetCal) Program, the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance cancelled NPD 8730.1, Metrology and Calibration and transferred the content to a new NASA standard, NASA-STD-8739.12, Metrology and Calibration, which went into effect Jan. 23, 2018. NPD 8730.5, NASA Quality Assurance Program Policy will carry the remaining MetCal policy language that was not transferred to NASA-STD-8739.12.

The NASA Metrology and Calibration program’s Programmable Josephson Voltage Standard (PJVS) recently was routed to three other government organizations as part of an Inter-Laboratory Comparison (ILC). The PJVS is the most accurate Direct Current (DC) voltage calibration standard available.  The comparison validated that NASA’s PJVS and the Josephson voltage standards at those locations are working properly and providing accurate measurements.