National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Poor contractor performance and technology development issues threaten to push NASA’s On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 project (OSAM-1) beyond its $2.05 billion budget and projected December 2026 launch date.

NASA’s Deep Space Network transmits scientific and communications data between dozens of spacecraft and Earth. However, the network is oversubscribed with demand exceeding supply by 40 percent at times. While NASA is upgrading this critical infrastructure, the effort is costing more and taking...

NASA is adapting heritage hardware from the Space Shuttle era, including solid rocket boosters and RS-25 rocket engines, to power the Artemis campaign’s Space Launch System rocket that will launch the Orion crew capsule to the Moon. This report examines whether NASA is meeting cost, schedule, and...

Cybersecurity remains one of NASA’s top management challenges. While NASA’s information security program maintained a Level 3 rating this year, it still falls short of what the Office of Management and Budget considers effective.

NASA established this program nearly 30 years ago to spur new science and solutions for meeting the challenges of climate change. While the program provides opportunities to advance Earth science research, a sharper focus on solutions that benefit society would serve an even greater good.

The NASA Office of Inspector General issues its Semiannual Report to Congress summarizing the OIG’s activities and accomplishments from October 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.

We assessed NASA’s progress in developing new technologies and sustainable energy options for aircraft propulsion.

Congress enacted the Payment Integrity Information Act (PIIA) in 2019 to help agencies identify and reduce improper payments. For this mandated audit, we evaluated NASA’s compliance with PIIA requirements in fiscal year 2022.

NASA is a leader in AI usage across the federal government including on experiments in low Earth orbit to conduct weather modeling and in deeper space to map hazards for landing sites. In this audit, we examine NASA’s AI governance framework, standards, and cybersecurity controls.

NASA is developing advanced nuclear power system technologies, generally plutonium-238-based radioisotope power systems, to expand solar system exploration where conventional solar or chemical powered space flight is less effective. In this audit, we evaluated NASA’s management of the plutonium-238...