National Aeronautics and Space Administration OIG

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...