Month: June 2008

Launching into Space and Beyond


International Space Station

This week we launched Space Shuttle Discovery into orbit to conduct one of the most challenging and complex missions on the International Space Station (ISS). Discovery’s crew will install an Italian-built U.S. multi-port module onto the ISS. The node, called Harmony, will allow future Shuttle crews to attach the European and Japanese science laboratories to the ISS so we can increase the size of our science crew. The additional crew and lab space will significantly increase amount of important research we can do on this one-of-a-kind orbiting facility.
 
When I think about how this mission is going to benefit our ability to do science on the ISS, I also focus on the broader picture of NASA’s overall science portfolio. NASA’s science program is amazing. We study the Earth and we explore the Universe, and everything in between. We land on planets and orbit others. We puzzle over some of the most profound questions of our time: how the did the universe begin and what is its ultimate fate, is the Earth changing, and are we alone. The results of our science missions feed our innate intellectual curiosity, but the innovations required to answer these questions also spark new technologies that help maintain our quality of life and benefit the lives of every person on Earth.

Public Outreach

So, how do we tell the public about our incredible discoveries? I think one of the most powerful tools we have for communicating with people is the amazing images our missions produce, and the visualizations that can be created from the scientific data being returned from our orbiting explorers.
 
We’ve seen pictures from two landers that have been operating from the surface and craters of Mars since January 2004. We’ve seen stunning up close images of the rings of Saturn and active volcanoes on Jupiter’s moon Io. And, of course, there’s the Hubble Space Telescope which has produced some of the most compelling and enduring images ever taken. The famous picture of the stellar nursery in the Eagle Nebula taken by Hubble is among the most iconic in NASA’s history.
 
Being understood matters to us at NASA. After all, the value of our work reaches only as far as it contributes to the pursuits of the American ideal, or “the Progress of Science and useful Arts” as the Preamble to the Constitution puts it. That’s why we place so much importance in developing tools to make our work meaningful and clear. NASA operates a fleet of Earth orbiting satellites to collect the information that scientists use to understand our dynamic planet. Each day, these satellites send the data equivalent of the entire Library of Congress to the ground where it is collected, stored and made available to scientists around the world.
 
While getting the data to the scientists is of course critical, is it equally important that we tell the American taxpayers how we are spending their money and what we are learning from our science programs. Let’s face it. Science is complex, and some of our findings are difficult to explain.

GSFC’s Scientific Visualization Studio

At NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, scientists and expert storytellers are teaming up in what Goddard calls its Scientific Visualization Studio to create visualizations of complex scientific processes using actual data . People say a picture is worth a thousand words. So, if we want to be more effective communicating with the public, why not show them what’s going on in the world around them using actual data. That’s where Goddard’s Scientific Visualization Studio can help.
 
Working together, scientists, computer experts and skilled communicators turn millions and billions of 1’s and 0’s into stunning images that can tell a story. They can show the historical ebb and flow of massive ice sheets at the North and South Poles, pinpoint the location and movement of forest fires like those in California, track the global distribution of dust and pollution, and demonstrate how the abundance of tropical rainfall and the temperature of the oceans provides vital clues for predicting hurricane activity and intensity.

Science on a Sphere

Additionally, Goddard’s Science on a Sphere is an exciting way to communicate science to the public. It provides a unique canvas to view our planet and the universe. The genius of Science on a Sphere is it reminds us neither the Earth, nor much else that we come in contact with every day, is flat. It uses advanced 4-projector, computer controlled technology to present advanced satellite data and other visual effects on a large globe that is suspended on an invisible wire. The first time you see an earth image, or a planet, or other data set projected on the sphere in an otherwise dark room, it takes your breath away. You see the planet the way it actually looks — round, and three dimensional, a complete 360-degree view of whatever is on the screen. Walk around to the other side and you’re suddenly seeing the other side of the world.
 
The system was developed at NOAA as a means of depicting planetary data sets, like cloud movement, temperature gradations, atmospheric chemistry, and more. Taking the concept one step further, a small but incredibly talented and devoted team from Goddard developed a way to put some of NASA’s most compelling images, animations and visualizations on the Sphere.
 
On the Sphere we can show the pulse of the planet as satellite sensors measure global chlorophyll concentrations to indicate the distribution and abundance of vegetation which feeds most of the world’s animal life. We can track the evolution of Atlantic hurricanes from their birth off the African coast to their eventual demise over land. We can see what the planet looks like as it crosses from day to night and the city lights turn on. But Earth is not the only star of the show. We can also show planets and their moons as they would look to an orbiting spacecraft, or what the universe looked like in the moments after the Big Bang. The first full-length program created for the Sphere, a movie called “Footprints,” proved so novel and innovative that it was awarded one of Time magazine¹s greatest innovations of 2006.

A Busy Year Ahead

Next year will be one of the busiest for NASA and for Goddard with the launch of the GLAST, the Hubble Servicing Mission, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), and the Solar Dynamic Observatory. With its detailed map of the lunar surface, LRO is the first and a most critical step in our plans to move boldly to implement the Vision for Space Exploration. The science delivered by these new and exciting spacecraft, and a practically brand new Hubble, will revolutionize our understanding of the influence the life-giving Sun has on Earth, and unlock many questions about the universe still shrouded in mystery.
 
But what I really can’t wait for is to see the data returned from these extraordinary missions projected on the Sphere, and finding other ways to share these amazing adventures with the public. It’s going to be an exciting time and through the wonders of technology and innovations like those at Goddard, we’re going to be able to take everybody on the journey with us. 

Publ

NASA and Small Business


Improvements in Small Business Programs

In November 2006, NASA’s performance in the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Small Business Procurement (SBP) Scorecard was rated “red” for current status and “red” for progress.  We had only met two of the nine rating elements necessary to receive a “yellow” rating in current status.  To improve our small business program, we put into place a detailed plan of action, the Small Business Improvement Plan.  One of the plan’s actions was to rename the Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) to reflect the addition of new programs to assist small businesses in the federal procurement arena.

The Small Business Improvement Plan was developed and implemented with input from each of the NASA Centers.  It will provide a strong foundation for the continued improvement of the NASA Small Business Program.  As part of the plan, we formed a Small Business Specialist Council to improve communications throughout the agency and with both large and small industry partners.  We also formed several new Center-based Industry Councils to develop a better understanding of the local issues at each Center so an agency strategy for utilizing small business in support of the Vision for Space Exploration can be developed.  In addition, the OSBP enhanced the office website to be user friendly and provide more information on how to do business with each of the NASA Centers.

The OSBP, working with the Procurement Office, has developed new contract clauses and procedures that provide more opportunities for small business participation in NASA procurements.  NASA also will restart its Mentor Protégé program in January 2008, after restructuring the program to make it more beneficial for the small business community and the agency. 

The results of these changes are documented in NASA’s FY 2007 Mid-Year Small Business Procurement Scorecard rating, which was released on August 17, 2007. NASA was rated “red” in progress; however, NASA received credit for achieving eight of the nine rating elements—a great improvement over the previous scorecard.  Further, NASA improved from “red” to “yellow” in the progress element of the scorecard for the many new initiatives implemented to improve its Small Business Program. 

Based on NASA’s continuous improvements in its Small Business Program, it is anticipated that the agency will obtain a rating of “yellow” for both status and progress on the final FY 2007 Small Business Procurement Scorecard.  

Small Business Program Events

On November 6, NASA will be presenting the inaugural Small Business Advocates Awards which recognize NASA personnel that have demonstrated exceptional support to the Agency’s small business programs. These awards will honor agency employees for the innovative ways they have utilized small business programs to enable NASA to better accomplish its goals.

NASA’s OSBP is working to provide small businesses with enhanced access to NASA and with more opportunities to do business with the Agency. At Business Opportunity Expos, small businesses have the opportunity to present their capabilities to NASA small business specialists and procurement and technical personnel from throughout the Agency and communicate with large businesses that support NASA. The 17th annual NASA Business Opportunities Expo was held on October 16 near Kennedy Space Center and was attended by approximately 900 people and featured 175 exhibitors. These expos also are a means for small businesses to network with each other and develop long lasting business relationships.  

Congratulations to a NASA Small Business Partner

Integrated Science Solutions, IncIntegrated Science Solutions, Inc. (ISSI), a small woman-owned business that supports NASA, was named 2007 SBA Region IX Prime Contractor of the Year (image at left).  This award honors small businesses that have provided the federal government with outstanding goods and services as prime contractors.  ISSI, which is a certified woman-owned science and engineering firm started in 1999, supports NASA Ames by performing the Environmental Support Services Contract at the Center.  The company’s president and CEO, Ms. Cecelia McCloy, was recently appointed to a three-year term on the National Women’s Business Council.

Prime Contractor of the Year nominations are judged on the following criteria: overall management, technical capabilities, cost performance, resource utilization, financial strength, delivery performance, labor relations, special achievements, customer interface, and exceptional results.  ISSI and the other Regional winners were presented awards by President George Bush and SBA Administrator Mr. Steven Preston during Small Business Week 2007 in Washington, DC. I would like to congratulate ISSI on this distinct honor.

The NASA Office of Small Business Programs can be reached at (202) 358-2088 or via e-mail at smallbusiness@nasa.gov . 

Leadership Development


Leadership Development Programs

As NASA phases out the Shuttle and moves into the Constellation era, it is critically important that we, as an Agency, have the next generation of leaders prepared to face the challenges ahead of us. This next generation needs to be able to form internal and external partnerships, be skilled in communication, and know how to work collaboratively across programs, projects, and centers. We need to ensure that our future leaders are getting the experiences they need today to gain these skills so that they can lead tomorrow.

A critical component of the strategy to accomplish this goal is having Agency-level leadership development programs that serve a broad range of employees — from new hires to those ready now for the Senior Executive Service (SES). From an Agency perspective, we have three long-term development programs that serve this purpose: the NASA Foundations of Influence, Relationships, Success, and Teamwork (FIRST) Program; the NASA Leadership Development Program (LDP); and the NASA SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP).

NASA FIRST

NASA FIRST is the Agency’s leadership development program for GS-11 and 12 engineers, scientists, and administrative professionals. The program focuses on developing leadership capabilities and intra-Agency collaboration in individuals who are truly our next generation of leaders charged with implementing the Vision for Space Exploration. Not only do the participants in this program learn leadership skills that they will carry with them for their entire careers, but they also work on center projects that have a direct impact on the NASA mission.

For instance, the Langley Research Center participants addressed the ever important issue of working across generations to achieve mission success. Their project, “A Generational Investigation to Increase Langley’s Insight about Today’s and Tomorrow’s Young Professionals,” produced Center recommendations on how to address motivation, communication, and perceptions among different generational groups. The project recommendations will increase Langley’s effectiveness in building cross-generational relationships which will enable technical excellence and knowledge sharing.

I have spoken to the NASA FIRST class — well, actually, I came and met with the group and we spent the entire time having more of a dialogue. The participants were so enthusiastic and knowledgeable that I did not need to give a formal “talk” at all. My deputy, Charles Scales, recently participated in the NASA FIRST graduation ceremony and reinforced my extremely favorable impression of this group. I also have spoken with the LDP class and participated in the graduation ceremony for the 2007 class. I cannot say enough positive things about this program and its participants.

NASA Leadership Development Program (LDP)

The LDP is a year-long leadership program for GS-13 through GS-15 managers who have responsibilities that require engaging and uniting others under a shared vision to achieve program goals and mission success. The participants engage in assignments at other NASA Centers or external to the Agency to gain a greater Agency and government-wide perspective to increase their effectiveness as leaders. The focus of this program is on its return-on-investment to the Agency, and you can look at some great success stories of this at http://ldp.nasa.gov/stories.htm.

What I find particularly exciting about this program is that the entire class engages in a project that directly impacts the mission. I was thrilled to learn that the 2007 LDP class decided to partner with the Office of Communications Planning (OCP) on internal and external communications. Communications and outreach are topics that I consider a high priority for NASA as it is vital for the public to understand NASA’s goals for exploration in order to make it sustainable over generations. Recent market analysis has shown that many in the American public do not feel that NASA is relevant to their lives. The LDP class challenged themselves to figure out a way to capture the amazing things that NASA is doing and to translate the results in such a way that the American public could see specific societal impacts.

The LDP class decided to focus the project on three specific areas. First, it created a catalog of NASA results and achievements. Next, the class mapped these results to demonstrate specific societal benefits and the impact these achievements have on the every day lives of Americans. The class then developed a toolkit for speakers based on the mapping, so the stories could be communicated and the relevance of NASA could be demonstrated to various audiences. Over the course of nine months, the LDP team of 17 people achieved great results. The class helped the OCP with crafting stories designed to communicate NASA’s relevance to the public and developed a list of societal benefit areas. A database of 107 stories of direct benefit to the public now exists so that NASA can have a repository from which to demonstrate how our work has a positive impact on all of our lives. The next step is to make this information accessible so that when people hear about NASA, they immediately feel a connection. This is imperative to our success as an Agency and a nation. I am so pleased with and impressed by their work.

Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program (SESCDP)

The third Agency leadership development program is the SESCDP. This program is designed for senior managers who are expected to be NASA’s next cadre of senior executives. Participants are already experts in their technical areas before entering the program, so the program focuses on developing executive-level competence in areas that are critical to the success of government executives, such as Leading People, Leading Change, and Communications. Many members of our current Agency leadership team have participated in the SESCDP: our Associate Administrator, Associate Deputy Administrator, and the Associate Administrator for Space Operations to name a few.

Not only is the SESCDP a succession management tool to ensure we have capable people in senior management positions, but the developmental assignments that participants engage in during their program year help us to build partnerships among the centers and external to NASA. The current participants are involved in developmental assignments ranging from the Exploration Launch Office, to being Program Executive for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, to working with the Under Secretary for Science at the Smithsonian Institution, to building relationships with our industry partners. The SESCDP participants also are required to establish a mentoring relationship and shadow senior officials. I have had the opportunity to be a mentor as well as have SESCDP participants shadow me. I am pleased to be able to assist with this important program that is developing our senior executives.

These three programs play a major role in making sure NASA is successful in the mandate we have been given. They help to ensure that we have leaders in place today who are capable of undertaking the huge challenges we face. Perhaps more importantly, however, they enable us to look out in the future to ensure NASA’s success in 2015, 2020, and beyond.

New NASA Website

I don’t have a theme for this week’s blog, just a collection of random thoughts.  I would like to hear from you about issues/topics that you want discussed in the blog. Please send your thoughts via the website, which can also be found at InsideNASA).

New NASA Website

It’s taken awhile, but I’m glad we were finally able to unveil the new website earlier this week.  Keeping the website current needs to be an ongoing process with refreshers much more frequent than every five years. Hopefully, that commitment can be maintained even as the transition to a new Administration occurs. I’ll be interested to know what users, especially young people, think about content, look, and features. I have established an intra-agency web strategy council, led by Chris Kemp of Ames Research Center, to look into policy regarding a multitude of NASA websites with the ultimate goal of making the breadth and depth of NASA’s information more easily accessible. They have many other tasks in front of them as well.

Operations Management Council

Almost every month, I chair the Operations Management Council, a group that consists of senior representatives from the Mission Directorates, Centers, and Mission Support offices. Charles Scales, Rebecca Keiser, and Kelly Carter have been working over the past year to focus each meeting on a particular theme that needs attention. For example, one meeting focused on protection of NASA’s personnel and assets: emergency preparedness planning, hurricane vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies, workplace violence policy, and guidance regarding sensitive but unclassified information. Another meeting focused on NASA property: disposition of assets during the transition between Space Shuttle and Constellation, and status of a new automated asset management system. January’s meeting will focus on human capital — particularly, planning for the transition between Space Shuttle and Constellation.

NASA FY2009 Budget

We are full-swing in the budget season for FY2009. The agency received the FY2009 passback from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (this is the response to NASA’s original budget submit). We continue with the discussion phase with OMB.  The end result will be incorporated into the President’s budget, which will be rolled out in February 2008. Then, Congress will take up the budget for its consideration.

Launch of Space Shuttle STS-122 Mission

I am currently in Florida for the launch of the Space Shuttle STS-122 Mission. We have a very large crowd from Europe joining us at the Kennedy Space Center to witness the launch of the European Space Agency’s Columbus laboratory, which will become part of the International Space Station. I joined German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European officials in Bremen, Germany, on May 2, 2006, to celebrate the completion of the Columbus laboratory. So, I look forward to the continuation of the journey of this major new addition to the International Space Station.

Travel to Guatemala and Panama

Next week, I travel to Guatemala and Panama to see first-hand how data from NASA’s Earth sciences satellites are being used in practical applications throughout the region. In Guatemala, I will learn more about how NASA’s remote sensing data were used to locate and interpret the remains of the ancient Mayan civilization, and how NASA’s climate research offers insights into that civilization’s rise and fall. During my visit to Panama, I will visit the Mesoamerican Regional Visualization and Monitoring System (known by its Spanish acronym, SERVIR).  The SERVIR facility receives and integrates NASA remote sensing data and makes it readily available to regional users including government officials, researchers, students and the general public. SERVIR uniquely helps to monitor and forecast ecological changes in Central America and assists in responding to severe events such as forest fires, red tides and tropical storms.  This should be very interesting and I will provide more details next week.

Human System Risk Management

Guest Blogger: Jeff Davis, Director, Space Life Sciences Directorate, Johnson Space Center (see bio below)

Shana’s Introduction

Last week at the NASA Strategic Management Council, Dr. Jeff Davis, Director, Space Life Sciences Directorate at Johnson Space Center, led a presentation on human system risk management. I was impressed with the scope and depth of what Jeff and his colleagues are accomplishing, so I asked him to do a “guest blog” this week on the topic. From a personal perspective, I was interested to hear about Vitamin D deficiencies and how, for those of us on Earth who use sunscreen all the time, we are inhibiting Vitamin D absorption from the recommended daily 15 minutes of sunlight exposure.

It is not just rhetoric when I say that NASA’s people are our most important asset. The risks inherent in sending humans to space are therefore of great concern. Jeff and his colleagues are doing great work to ensure that the health and well-being of the humans we send to space are protected as much as possible. Jeff eloquently explains the work NASA is doing in his posting below.

Jeff Davis’ Posting

As we prepare to send humans back to the Moon for longer periods of time, and on to Mars, we must fully understand the human health and performance challenges so as to manage “human system” risks, as we would any other spacecraft or launch system risk. My team, the Johnson Space Center Space Life Sciences Directorate, has developed a risk management framework to identify, analyze, plan, track and control human health and performance risks. The focus is on identifying and mitigating risks that negatively impact successful completion of our mission, or that endanger long-term astronaut health. The effort is Agency-wide, including Exploration Systems Mission Directorate Human Research Program scientists, as well as Space Operations Mission Directorate flight surgeons and operational personnel who work to keep our Space Transportation System (STS) and International Space Station (ISS) astronauts healthy. The HQ Chief Health and Medical Officer plays an important role, serving as the Agency Health and Medical Technical Authority, as well as setting policy and standards that guide our work.

Based on our space flight experience to date, as well as relevant terrestrial medical data, we can identify the human health and performance risks that could impact the mission or long term astronaut health. This evidence base is expanding as our crews spend more time onboard the ISS and as the Human Research Program finds critical answers. In order to guide the Shuttle, ISS and Constellation programs, the Chief Health and Medical Officer sets human health and performance standards that define acceptable levels of human health risk. These standards directly drive program requirements for mitigation strategies.  

Flight surgeons provide clinical care to the astronauts and implement current risk mitigation strategies. In addition, they support future crews by assisting and informing the research program. Flight surgeons address medical issues that occur in astronauts, treat them and return the astronauts to duty. Many medical issues have been successfully treated resulting in the astronaut resuming a productive space flight career. These experiences contribute to our evidence base and inform our analysis of human health risks.  

The Human Research Program is actively engaged in research (including important research onboard the ISS that will allow us to understand our highest priority human health and performance risks and set effective standards. I’d like to share some examples of the exciting and operationally relevant research:  

Dr. Jean Sibonga, the bone discipline research lead, is leading the study of recovery of space flight-induced bone loss in long duration crewmembers. Her research provides insight into why astronauts and cosmonauts lose bone mineral density during spaceflight, and what the Agency needs to address in order to ensure that bone loss doesn’t impact our future missions. Her data shows that the loss of bone is different for different people, and that the recovery of the lost bone mineral density can take up to three years. This information is used by flight surgeons and scientists to provide ways for astronauts to recover after flight including the gradual reintroduction of exercise.  

Dr. Scott Smith, the lead of the nutrition laboratory, is examining the nutritional status of our astronauts. His research shows that Vitamin D levels after long duration missions are often lower than desired and, together with the ISS flight surgeons, he is evaluating Vitamin D supplementation as part of a broad-based study of nutritional status of our ISS long duration crewmembers. Dr. Smith and his team are also evaluating the stability of food and medicines during long duration space flight, so that new approaches can be taken to provide adequate nutrition and effective medicines during exploration missions.

Adverse effects of inhaling lunar dust that may get into a space vehicle or habitat during a Moon mission is a concern of scientists and physicians. Dr. John James, the lead toxicologist for JSC, is leading a team of scientists in evaluating health risks associated with exposure to lunar dust. Their studies are being performed on simulants and Apollo lunar samples. This information will lead to standards that guide engineers in designing life support systems and operational procedures to control the dust in future vehicles and habitats on the moon.

The intention of the human system risk management process is to ensure that human health and performance issues do not impact NASA’s mission. I’m pleased to lead an excellent team of scientists, physicians and engineers around the Agency in focusing on these important challenges.

Jeffrey R. Davis, MD, MS Bio

Jeffrey R. Davis, MD, MS is a Professor of Clinical Preventive Medicine in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health at UTMB. Under an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) agreement with NASA, he serves as Director, Space Life Sciences, NASA Johnson Space Center. The Space Life Sciences Directorate provides the research and technology development required for exploration as well as all biomedical support to space flight operations of the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. The Directorate is also responsible for life sciences requirements under the new Constellation program. The technical disciplines in the directorate include space medicine; biomedical research into the physiological changes induced by human exposure to reduced gravity; development of countermeasures to protect human health during space flight; environmental monitoring including radiation; and habitability and human factors.

Dr. Davis received his B.S. degree in Biology from Stanford University and M.D. degree from the University of California at San Diego. He subsequently did residency training in internal medicine and aerospace medicine, and is certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine. Past positions include Corporate Medical Director, American Airlines, and Chief, Medical Operations NASA. His national board participation has included service as the chair of the American Board of Preventive Medicine; chair of the Residency Review Committee for Preventive Medicine; president of the Aerospace Medical Association; and a member of the executive committee of the American Board of Medical Specialties. Dr. Davis is the co-editor of the text Fundamentals of Aerospace Medicine, May 2002.  He is the senior editor of the 4th edition due for publication in April 2008. Additional publications are available on request.

Budget Rollout

Budget Rollout

The preparation for budget rollout is always intense. This year, it was even more so because the budget experts at NASA were dealing with preparing the fiscal year (FY) 2008 operating plan for submission back to the Hill; rapidly reworking the account structure for NASA for the FY2009 budget and five-year run-out (as required by the FY2008 Omnibus Appropriations Act); preparing for FY2009 budget rollout; and working the strategic planning guidance for all areas of NASA to start preparation of the FY2010 budget request.

I have to admit that I am glad last week is over. The budget press conference on Monday (February 4) went well. Lynn Cline (Deputy Associate Administrator [AA] for Space Operations), Rick Gilbrech (AA for Exploration), Jaiwon Shin (AA for Aeronautics), and Alan Stern (AA for Science) joined me for the press conference and the Q&A went very fast. At the end, I was thinking, “Are there no more questions?” I decided to keep that as an internal thought bubble and not say it out loud.

On Thursday of last week (February 7), I spoke before the National Space Club at what has become an annual event to communicate with the Washington, DC crowd about the budget request.

Presidential Rank Awards

After days filled with budget books and numbers, I had the pleasure of honoring the NASA Presidential Rank Award winners. Each year, the President recognizes a small group of career Senior Executives with the Presidential Rank Award for exceptional long-term accomplishments. Winners of this prestigious award are strong leaders, professionals, and scientists who achieve results and consistently demonstrate strength, integrity, industry, and a relentless commitment to excellence in public service.

There are two categories of rank awards: Distinguished and Meritorious. Award winners are chosen through a rigorous selection process. They are nominated by their agency heads, evaluated by boards of private citizens, and approved by the President. The evaluation criteria focus on leadership and results.

The NASA awardees are employees dedicated to NASA’s missions, to aeronautics and science and human space flight. Accomplishments made by awardees include leading teams that investigated technical issues directly related to the loss of Columbia; being part of the Hubble Space Telescope program’s incredible success; streamlining aeronautics operations at Ames; making major contributions to the aeronautics budget development process; developing and implementing NASA’s solar physics and geospace science programs; overseeing NASA’s spectacular astrophysics programs; ensuring the success of the avionics and software for International Space Station; leading the development of Orion Service module; and selecting, tailoring, and applying technical requirements as we develop the Ares I launch vehicle.

We should thank all of these employees for their service and commitment to excellence. The list of Rank Award winners can be found at http://www.opm.gov/ses/presrankaward.asp.

Events Next Week

On Monday, February 18, I travel to San Jose, CA, to give the keynote address at the National Association of Women Business Owners of Silicon Valley (NAWBO-SV) Awards luncheon. I was surprised to get the invitation and wanted to know why they wanted someone from NASA. My hope is that our collective efforts to reach out to industries and groups beyond traditional aerospace are resonating. Mike Griffin and I consider this another great opportunity to spread the message about the exciting work that NASA is engaged in and how what we do in the space program has relevance to everyday life.

Since this is a group of female entrepreneurs who have started and own their own businesses, I will tailor my speech around the space economy. We define space economy as the full range of activities that create and provide value to human beings in the course of exploring, understanding, and utilizing space. Space is pervasive in our lives, invisible yet critical to so many aspects of our daily activities and well-being. One of our jobs is to highlight the technologies derived from space exploration that most people take for granted.

I have found that people in the high-tech industries are very receptive to the message of how NASA drives markets (microprocessors during the Apollo days) and develops technologies for space exploration that are then modified or transformed for a specific application here on Earth (advanced breast cancer imaging and robots that search for improvised explosive devices). All of this leads to NASA spurring innovation and helping drive U.S. economic competitiveness. The goal is to link the awe-inspiring work we do at NASA (people around the country are very interested in and excited by our work) with something that hits home with the listener. For NAWBO, I believe they will be very interested in how space exploration spurs U.S. economic competitiveness.

Then I fly to Columbus, OH, for the second NASA Future Forum, which will be held at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) on February 21. The Columbus Future Forum will focus on how space exploration benefits Ohio’s economy. Astronaut Carl Walz, director of NASA’s Advanced Capabilities Division, will provide an overview of NASA’s exploration program. Other NASA participants include Woodrow Whitlow, director of NASA’s Glenn Research Center, and Glenn employees John Hairston and Dr. Geoffrey Landis.

Our industry and University speakers include Dr. Anthony Dennis, President and CEO, BioOhio; Dr. John Stanford, Executive Assistant for Education Policy, State of Ohio; Dr. Kim Kiehl, Vice President of Strategy and Partnerships, COSI; and Ms. Dorothy Baunach, President and CEO, NorTech. Ohio Governor Ted Strickland will deliver the luncheon keynote.

The Seattle Future Forum in January was very successful and exceeded my high expectations. I believe the Columbus Future Forum will be equally impressive. The Future Forums coming up are St. Louis in March, Miami in April, and San Jose in May.

The Budget Process

This year’s budget process is different from what we normally do but is very similar to the budget submittal for FY 2002 as a new Administration came into office.  NASA, like most federal agencies, will develop two budget requests this year.  The first is the normal 5-year budget developed during our Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) cycle.  The second budget is developed under a set of rules established by the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990, as documented in OMB Circular A-11.  

With only two weeks between the Presidential Inauguration and the due date for submitting the President’s budget to Congress, there is insufficient time to develop and deliver a budget request.   Thus, the federal government has developed a process for managing the budget delivery in years with a change in Administration (such as what happened eight years ago). The memo from OMB Director Jim Nussle (PDF) explains the process for developing this budget. Each agency is asked to develop a “current services budget.”  This budget is simply the current appropriation (FY 2009 if enacted, else the equivalent of a full-year continuing resolution), with no changes to subsequent years other than inflation.  

The PPBE process is well under way and although it is not required to be delivered to OMB, it is necessary to develop the PPBE budget as this provides the updated details for execution in FY 2009, as well as the integrated 5-year baseline for understanding the second budget.  This year, no budget reviews will be conducted with OMB directors, and there will be no formal passback process.

We will work with OMB on issues that may arise with ongoing programs due to the difference between the PPBE baseline and the current services baseline.  This will help OMB form position papers that will be presented to the new Administration’s transition team.  The current services budget also becomes the starting baseline for NASA’s discussions with the incoming transition team that will typically start in November, as soon as the election is clearly settled.  Understanding how this baseline differs from the PPBE baseline, and understanding the options for resolving any issues will be important in preparing for the incoming team.

Finally, an updated budget will be developed by the new Administration for submittal to Congress in April, which will then become the new Administration’s initial 5-year plan for NASA.  This will likely draw heavily on the details developed during PPBE, as well as any strategic decisions made by the new team.  So as we work through the current PPBE cycle, we must recognize that any PPBE proposals for changes in strategy or overguides will be compared to the current services budget and not the PPBE cycle when we begin discussion with OMB in September and the transition team in November.

I would like to thank David Schurr, NASA Comptroller, for his contribution to this week’s blog.

Information Technology Update

This week at the Operations Management Council (OMC) meeting, a significant portion was dedicated to the work we are doing to improve information technology (IT). In 2007, the Strategic Management Council, approved strategic initiatives to: (1) clarify the role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) as stated in NPD 1000.3 and define core IT services that shall be provided by the CIO; (2) realign the NASA IT organization to reflect the role of the CIO and better connect with customers; (3) create a governance structure and processes to engage key stakeholders, inform IT investment decisions, and apply project management discipline to IT projects; (4) increase visibility into IT budgeting and spending through management controls and fund base IT services through a combination of Corporate and Center Management and Operations funding; (5) improve integration, security, and efficiency of IT by consolidating infrastructure and management control; and (6) assign ownership of application portfolios and create a CIO-facilitated process to drive application standardization and efficiencies.  

With nearly $1.9 billion in annual IT spending, it’s critical that these initiatives succeed to ensure that IT enables the mission, is integrated, secures our information and systems, and helps improve efficiency. Each NASA Center has submitted an implementation plan for improving IT management based on the SMC decisions. Although this degree of change may be difficult for those involved, the status quo is not an option for the agency.  

For instance, in the OMC meeting, Jerry Davis, the Deputy CIO for IT Security reported that for March 2008 alone, there were over one billion scans of NASA systems by external entities. These would-be hackers are scanning for vulnerabilities in NASA systems that they can quickly exploit. Because of the ever-increasing threats, NASA’s new IT Strategy and Investment Board recently approved an investment to establish a central Security Operations Center (SOC) for the agency, which I strongly support. The SOC’s initial operations will begin at the start of calendar 2009, and will provide improved agency-wide capabilities to prevent, detect, and respond to security incidents in a more rapid fashion.  

Another initiative underway to improve security is the implementation of Mission Focus Review (MFR) 137, which calls for increased use of the Outsourcing Desktop Initiative for NASA (ODIN) contract to provide laptops and desktops. While originally intended to reduce costs, the main value of this change will be improved patch management and maintenance of core configurations required by the Federal government. For example, the implementation of smart cards to access NASA systems will be much smoother on ODIN-managed equipment. I recognize that this might be a difficult change for some NASA workers, but it is an important initiative that we must continue to implement.

These initiatives represent only a few of the many activities being pursued by NASA’s CIO community. The goals include increased security, enhanced integration, and cost savings.
 
I am very encouraged at the steps underway and the progress made in transforming the NASA IT environment and capabilities. Leadership at every level will be required to manage and bring about the changes we are undertaking. These changes will take time to complete and will be difficult; however, they are important and necessary in order for the agency to pursue and achieve our missions.

I would like to thank Jonathan Pettus, CIO, for his contribution to this week’s blog.