Keith’s note: this went out to a vast portion of the NASA workforce today. I guess we know what people will be working on over the weekend – spreadsheets, not brackets. From what I am told by NASA sources anyone can see virtually anything they want – even if it is not their own stuff. No, I do not have – or ever want – access to this sort of proprietary/confidential stuff. Full memo below (spreadsheet and link do not work).

Keith’s note: according to the National Academies report “NASA at a Crossroads – Maintaining Workforce, Infrastructure, and Technology Preeminence in the Coming Decades” (full report) “The committee offers seven “core findings” that, in its view, rise to the highest level of priority. These issues often have cross-cutting connotations that impact more than one of the three resource areas cited in the legislation mentioned above and are interrelated. The committee’s findings regarding these high priority “core” issues are as follows:”

Keith’s note: The annual NASA OIG look at issues confronting NASA is out and nothing has changed. NASA still accomplishes astonishing things yet that is challenged by the fact that NASA still cannot figure out what things cost or deliver them on time. “… Despite these important achievements, substantial cost growth and lengthy schedule delays continue to impact not only human space flight programs, like the Space Launch System and Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, but also other major science and exploratory programs, projects, and missions. In addition, the International Space Station’s planned retirement at the end of the decade poses a challenge for the Agency as it seeks to maintain an active human presence in low Earth orbit. The Agency also faces long-standing challenges managing its information technology; overseeing contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements; ensuring it attracts and retains a highly technical and diverse workforce; and managing outdated infrastructure and facilities.” Full report: OIG 2023 Report on NASA’s Top Management and Performance Challenges

“Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot recognizes the 2017 National Small Business Week; a time to celebrate the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. NASA honors its 2016 Agency Small Business Advocate Award winners and acknowledges the contributions made by NASA civil servant personnel throughout the Agency. The Agency 2016 Small Industry Award winners are also highlighted and they recognize the outstanding Small Business Prime Contractor, Small Business […]

Orbital ATK Sues DARPA Over MDA’s SSL GEO Satellite Servicing Contract, SpaceQ “The days of on-orbit servicing, or satellite servicing, living in obscurity are over. On February 7, Orbital ATK, Inc. and their subsidiary Space Logistics LLC, filed a lawsuit in the Eastern District of Virginia to stop the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) from awarding Space Systems Loral (SSL), a subsidiary of Canada’s MDA, a contract to […]

NASA OIG: Review of NASA-Funded Institutes “We found NASA does not aggregate information on the universe, status, or funding levels for the many institutes it supports. The absence of this information makes it difficult for Agency leaders to strategically evaluate the scope or purpose of its institute investments or for Congress and other stakeholders to understand how NASA is spending more than three-quarters of a billion dollars of its budget […]

Keith’s note: This NASA Langley procurement notice modification is a classic example of a broken government process. Read it carefully. What is/isn’t this modification modifying/not modifying? TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OPPORTUNITY – DECONVOLUTION APPROACH FOR THE MAPPING OF ACOUSTIC SOURCES –DAMAS– This is a modification to the synopsis entitled [ENTER TITLE AND SOLICITATION NO.] which was posted on [ENTER POSTED DATE]. You are notified that the following changes are made: [ENTER DESCRIPTION […]

NASA JSC Unveils ‘Valkyrie’ DRC Robot, IEEE Spectrum “While NASA’s official position is that Valkyrie is a genderless humanoid (as is Robonaut), the robot does have some features that we would call unmistakably female. For example, there’s the name of the robot. “Valkyrie” (the roboticists call it “Val” for short) refers to the female figures in Norse mythology who decided which warriors fought valiantly enough in battle to be taken […]

NASA Makes the Grade on the SBA Procurement Scorecard, NASA “NASA has achieved an “A” on the fiscal year 2012 (FY12) Small Business Administration (SBA) Procurement Scorecard. During the past six years, NASA’s demonstrated commitment to the agency’s small business program has raised the agency’s overall grade from an “F” to an “A” after receiving a grade of “C” in FY09 and FY10 and a grade of “B” in FY11. […]

Final Report – IG-13-016 – NASA’s Management of Commercial Orbital Transportation Services and ISS Commercial Resupply Contracts, NASA OIG “The OIG review found that despite an almost 3-year delay in development, SpaceX completed its demonstration flights and two resupply missions to the ISS. Although each experienced some anomalies, none was serious enough to substantially impact the missions.” “Similar to SpaceX, Orbital has experienced delays in its development program and these […]

NASA JSC Solicitation: Human Health and Performance Organizational Conflicts of Interest “NASA/JSC is requesting information from industry regarding potential organizational conflicts of interest (OCI) arising from the Human Health and Performance Contract (HHPC). The nature of the work anticipated under HHPC may create a situation, where there could be a potential for an OCI as currently described in FAR Subpart 9.5. “

NASA Space Technology Research Fellowships – Fall 2012 Fellowship Grant “Point of Contact Name: Claudia M Meyer Title: NASA Space Technology Research Grants Program Exec Phone: 000-000-0000 Fax: 000-000-0000 Email: [email protected]” Keith’s 4 Nov. note: Where is area code 000? You can “contact” Claudia Meyer at GRC (no mention of GRC in the NASA HQ procurement notice) at 216.977.7511 or at [email protected] (via people.nasa.gov). Keith’s 8 Nov update: No one […]

NASA MSFC RFI: Electrodynamic Tether Propulsion Demonstration Mission “NASA MSFC is seeking a partner capable of providing a spacecraft bus as a part of a technology development proposal team. Responses to this RFI will provide information necessary for the selection of spacecraft providing partners for the proposal team in late Summer/early Fall 2010. This RFI seeks input from vendors with experience and facilities for designing, fabricating, and integrating Low Earth […]

NASA JSC Solicitation Notice: Open Innovation Support Services “NASA/Johnson Space Center (JSC) has a requirement for an Open Innovation Service Provider with an extensive external network that can be used to introduce collaboration opportunities to the public. Specifically, NASA JSC is looking for an offeror that supports a network of experts that can facilitate solutions to a vast array of issues and challenges facing the future of human health and […]

NASA JSC Solicitation Notice: Open Innovation Support Services “NASA/Johnson Space Center (JSC) has a requirement for an Open Innovation Service Provider with an extensive external network that can be used to introduce collaboration opportunities to the public. Specifically, NASA JSC is looking for an offeror that supports a network of experts that can facilitate solutions to a vast array of issues and challenges facing the future of human health and […]

Keith’s 30 June update: This RFI has been cancelled. Funny how these things happen, eh? NASA JSC Solicitation: Request for Information on Human Rated Centrifuge Capabilities “NASA/JSC is hereby soliciting information about potential sources for use of human rated centrifuges that can simulate the Orion spacecraft ascent and entry accelertation environment. Specific information solicited is: The accelerations levels that can be achieved and sustained. The change in acceleration levels (jerk) […]

NASA JSC Solicitation: Sources sought for the SEA – Strategic Education Alliance Cooperative Agreement“Posted Date: Dec 08, 2006 … All responses shall be submitted to Kirby Condron no later than December 20, 2006 at 3:00 CST. In providing your response please reference SEA-SSS.” Editor’s note: Notice the turnaround time: 12 calendar/8 working days – and the time of year. Either JSC already knows who they will fund – or they […]

Editor’s note: If you go to this page you will see that APL is now listed as a NASA Center – not only at the top of the page – but also along with the award notices listed below. It would certainly seem that NASA sprouted another field center overnight (with a contract award amount of $750,000,000 for the 5 year base period and an option for and extensive of […]

GSA chief wants to end NASA contract, AP“The head of the U.S. General Services Administration has taken the unusual step of asking the White House to deny NASA’s request to extend a multibillion-dollar government-wide information technology contract. A $4 billion space agency contract for buying computers and other IT products from IBM Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp., Unisys Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and CDW Corp., among others, is scheduled to end next […]