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.

The NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program is working to further advance packaging technology that has become a critical feature of modern Electrical, Electronic, Electromechanical and Electro-optical parts. In collaboration with its academic partner Georgia Tech, the NEPP Program is exploring 2.5/3D glass substrate technology for space applications.

NASA’s Safety and Mission Assurance Reliability and Maintainability team is progressing with its Digital Transformation strategy to create solutions that enable seamless data flow and collaboration across centers. Integrating digital technologies will streamline engineering processes and data acquisition, share data among missions and centers seamlessly, leverage tools and technology across the agency, and ensure mission success through knowledge and influence.

The latest issue of Orbital Debris Quarterly News (ODQN) is now available. See the latest updates as of February 2021. 

Gallium Nitride (GaN), a Wide Bandgap (WBG) semiconductor, is emerging as a promising material for electronic components in the aerospace industry. While historically semiconductor devices have been silicon-based, in recent years, devices using WBG materials such as silicon carbide and GaN have matured to a point where their performance and economic value are competitive with, or in some cases, exceed traditional silicon parts. 

The latest issue of Orbital Debris Quarterly News (ODQN) is now available. See the latest updates as of November 2020.