Federal Reports

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 longer than planned—challenges that could intensify as more “big data” missions like Artemis come online.

What We Looked AtOn March 24, 2015, Germanwings Flight 9525 crashed in the Alps, killing all 150 people on board. The crash was due to deliberate actions by the copilot. According to the final accident report, the copilot started to suffer from severe depression in 2008. In July 2009, and each year thereafter, the aeromedical center continued to renew the copilot's medical certificate. On March 10, 2015, a private physician recommended the copilot receive psychiatric hospital treatment due to a possible psychosis, but no aviation authority was informed. Concerned with issues regarding the impact of pilot mental health on passenger safety, Senator Dianne Feinstein requested that we review procedures and methods the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employs to evaluate the psychological health of airline pilots. Our objectives were to assess FAA's procedures for (1) evaluating the psychological health of airline pilots and (2) mitigating potential threats to aviation safety from pilots with psychological health issues.What We FoundFAA has comprehensive procedures to evaluate pilots' psychological health, which include a framework of policies, guidelines, and collaboration with airlines. FAA's adherence to the procedures resulted in an extensive and structured process to evaluate pilots' psychological health--a key component to help mitigate potential safety risks. However, FAA's ability to mitigate safety risks is limited by pilots' reluctance to disclose mental health conditions. According to FAA and aviation industry organization officials, primary factors that discourage pilots from reporting their mental health conditions are the stigma associated with mental health, potential impact on their careers, and fear of financial hardship. Addressing these barriers is critical for FAA to mitigate potential aviation safety risks.Our RecommendationsFAA concurred with our two recommendations to address FAA's need to encourage pilots with mental health issues to disclose and seek treatment for their conditions. We consider the recommendations resolved but open pending completion of planned actions.

Transformation: Semiannual Report to Congress for October 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023.

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducts information security inspections to assess whether VA facilities are meeting federal security requirements. They are typically conducted at selected facilities that have not been assessed in the sample for the annual audit required by the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA) or at facilities that previously performed poorly. The OIG selected the Northern Arizona VA Healthcare System because it had not been previously visited as part of the annual FISMA audit.The OIG’s information security inspections focus on three control areas that apply to local facilities and have been selected based on their levels of risk: configuration management, security management, and access controls. During this inspection, the OIG found deficiencies in all three areas.Deficiencies in configuration management included previously unidentified critical vulnerabilities, uninstalled patches, and network operating systems no longer supported by the vendor—all of which could deprive users of reliable access to information and could risk unauthorized access to, or the alteration or destruction of, critical systems. The OIG identified almost twice as many devices on the network than the inventory listed, which constitutes a security management weakness. Weak access controls included missing video surveillance at a data center, inadequate fire-detection and suppression equipment, insufficient water sensors and climate controls, unmounted or stacked network equipment, and communications rooms without backup power supplies.The OIG made six recommendations to the assistant secretary for information and technology and chief information officer to improve controls at the healthcare system because they are related to enterprise-wide information security issues similar to those identified on previous FISMA audits and information security inspections. The OIG also made five recommendations to the Northern Arizona VA Healthcare System director.

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation Office of Inspector General (DFC OIG) contracted with RMA Associates, LLC (RMA) to conduct a review of DFC’s compliance with Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA) for fiscal year (FY) ending September 30, 2022. The review was conducted in accordance with 1) the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-21-19, Transmittal of Appendix C to OMB Circular A-123, Requirements for Payment Integrity Improvement and 2) OMB Circular A-136, Financial Reporting Requirements, June 3, 2022.

Our objective was to review cash and inventory, daily reporting activities, clock ring adjustments, and employee separations at the Madeira Branch Office. The scope period was October 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023.

Our objective was to review cash and stamp inventory, daily reporting activities, clock ring adjustments, and employee separations at Groesbeck Branch. Our audit scope was October 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023.