Annual Report Federal Information Security Management Act: Fiscal Year 2010 Report from the Office of Inspector General

"Although our audit work identifies challenges to and weaknesses in NASA's information technology (IT) security program, we believe that the Agency is steadily working to improve its overall IT security posture. Our report to OMB cited that NASA established a program for certification and accreditation, security configuration management, incident response and reporting, security training, Plans of Actions and Milestones, remote access, account and identity management, continuous monitoring, business continuity/disaster recovery, and overseeing systems operated by contractors. However, we found that internal controls for these areas needed improvements."

NASA's new space telescope costs shoot the moon, AP

"We were missing a certain fraction of what was going on," NASA associate administrator Chris Scolese said in a late Wednesday afternoon teleconference. ... The fault "lies with us, no question about it," Scolese said. ... The Webb telescope is already late. When first announced more than a dozen years ago, it was supposed to launch in 2007. That was eventually delayed until 2014. The new report, issued at the request of the Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., says the earliest launch date now would be September 2015. Scolese said technically the telescope was not confirmed as a project until 2008 -- even though many millions of dollars had been spent on it and NASA had been promoting it since 1998. In 2008, NASA said it would cost $5 billion and that's the number to use for how overbudget it is, Scolese said. But previous numbers that NASA provided said it would cost $3.5 billion."

Deficit Commission Errs, "Illustrative Cut" Would Outsource Human Spaceflight to Russia

"The Commercial Spaceflight Federation, representing 37 companies employing thousands of Americans nationwide, released a statement opposing in the strongest possible terms the "illustrative cut" to commercial spaceflight put forth today by the co-chairs of the Deficit Commission."

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Independent Comprehensive Review Panel (ICRP) Final Report

"The earliest launch date possible--and hence the minimum cost to complete--is September 2015 and would require an additional ~$250 million above the current FY 2011 President's Budget profile in both 2011 and 2012. In addition, the critical management change noted above, along with the restructuring of the JWST Project office, supplemented by additional changes outlined in the report, must go "hand-in-hand" with additional funding.

In the time available, it was not possible to do an independent estimate of the cost-to-complete. As such, the Panel approached the question from several different points of view as described later in this report, leading to a judgment that the total LCC will be in the range of $6.2 billion to $6.8 billion."

Letter from Independent Comprehensive Review Panel to Charles Bolden regarding The James Webb Space Telescope

"In summary, the Panel concluded that the JWST Project is in very good technical shape. There is no reason to question the technical integrity of the design or of the team's ability to deliver a quality product to orbit. The problems causing cost growth and schedule delays have been associated with budgeting and program management, not technical performance."

NASA Administrator Bolden Statement On The Webb Telescope

"I appreciate the work done by the James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) Independent Comprehensive Review Panel (ICRP), and want to thank Sen. Barbara Mikulski for initiating this review. The ICRP report makes clear that, while JWST technical performance has been consistent with the project plan, the cost performance and coordination have been lacking, and I agree with these findings."

China Reveals First Chang'e-2 Photos!, Luna-C/I

"China has released the first photos from it's recently-launched Chang'e-2 lunar orbiter! Released with some fanfare, the images get more or less straight to the point: they're of the Bay of Rainbows (Sinus Iridium), which China has slated to be the potential landing location of it's Chang'e-3 rover mission."

Robots Invade Kennedy Space Center, Ken Kremer for SpaceRef

"Robots have invaded the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) as NASA prepares to launch Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-133 assembly mission to the International Space Station (ISS). But fear not, these robots are human made and friendly to earthlings - at least for now."

Charles Bolden Jr. To Speak At Kappa Iota's Achievement Week Program

"The Kappa Iota Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. in association with the Pearl Group, Inc. announced that Charles F. Bolden, Jr., administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), will be the featured speaker at Kappa Iota's annual Achievement Week Program. The program will be held on Dec. 2 at the Chattanooga Trade and Convention Center."

NASA official to speak at N.C. A&T's December commencement

"Maj. Gen. Charles Frank Bolden, Jr., 12th administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, will be the keynote speaker for N.C. A&T's December commencement. Commencement will be held Dec. 11, at the Greensboro Coliseum."

Keith's note: These are both rather "safe" events (a pattern Bolden has adopted) where media access can be controlled such that no one asks him a space-policy related question on the record - at least no snarky space reporters will get in to pepper Bolden with questions. This is, of course, being done per White House direction. Just to be on the safe side, Bolden will use his new personal transporter to beam into and out of the speaking venues.

Special Aerospace Services Announces Inaugural Commercial Human Spaceflight Technical Forum

"The forum is being held in Boulder, Colorado, and will present a focused and concentrated technical agenda created for Commercial Human Spaceflight providers and NASA. Attendees will gain insight to techniques that will be required to successfully achieve the NASA human rating certification and FAA commercial spaceflight licensing. The forum will host recognized and sought-after subject matter experts, including N. Wayne Hale Jr., Jeffrey Ashby, Timothy Bulk and Dr. Alan Stern."

Space Studies Board 2010 Workshop: Sharing the Adventure with the Public

"The Space Studies Board's 2010 Workshop will explore both how these grand questions focus on the nation's space research program and how best to convey its value and excitement to the public. The workshop will bring together leading scientists and experts from the communications and social marketing sectors to share lessons learned and best practices. A summary of the workshop discussions will be released by the NRC."

Keith's note: I just love it when these meetings are set up to address the "public" and their perceptions of space exploration yet 99.999% of the "public" cannot attend. Its also unclear how the public can participate in the "audience". No one stops to think to webcast events like live such that the "public" can see what the experts think they are interested in. Why not let the "public" who cannot attend the event participate via the Internet? All it takes is a laptop with a webcam, an Internet connection, and a USTREAM or LIVESTREAM account. Oh well, the proceedings will quietly slip out in 6 months. As for the speakers - they are all certainly knowledgeable, but with one possible exception, not a single one of them is under 50 years old. What about the next generation?

Keith's update: Deputy Associate Administrator for Public Outreach Alan Ladwig has been doing a nice job of Twittering from the event - so there is some insight into what is going on - so make certain to follow Alan on Twitter.

NASA and Esri Agreement Supports GIS Initiatives

"The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently signed an enterprise license agreement (ELA) with Esri, making ArcGIS software tools available for unlimited use by authorized NASA employees and contractors. The agreement reflects NASA's extensive and growing use of Esri's ArcGIS software to bring geospatial intelligence to a wide variety of mission-critical efforts, from streamlining operations to enabling research and exploration."

The 2010 Create the Future Design Contest, sponsored by COMSOL, Inc., PTC, and Tech Briefs Media Group (publishers of NASA Tech Briefs), recognized innovation in product design in six categories: Consumer Products, Machinery & Equipment, Medical, Safety & Security, Sustainable Technologies, and Transportation. On the following pages, you’ll meet the Grand Prize Winner, as well as the winners and Honorable Mentions in all six categories. Congratulations to this year’s winners, and thanks to the nearly 1,000 entrants who submitted their creative design ideas. To view the contest entries online, visit http://www.createthefuture2010.com.

Keith's note: The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) project started under NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Associate Administrator Ed Weiler. Virtually all of its chronic and unabated cost increases and schedule slips have occured under Weiler's watch either at NASA HQ or at NASA GSFC. When former SMD AA Alan Stern tried to bring the escalating costs of programs such as JWST and Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) under control, in 2008, multiple NASA sources note that Chris Scoelese and Ed Weiler maneuvered to force Stern's resignation, in a classic NASA "shoot the messenger" move, with Weiler taking Stern's place within barely a week.

Meanwhile in a statement prepared for Bolden, it is evident that the agency is in complete denial when it comes to the severity of its escalating costs for government projects. Didn't the recent election sent a rather clear message from the electorate with regard to their dissatisfaction with out of control government spending? Add in the soaring overruns on MSL (another Weiler managerial fiasco) and National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) - a project managed for the agency by Chris Scolese, and you see three large fiscal black holes sucking away at all the other things the agency is supposed to be doing for science, and exploration.

Bolden's response? He wants Weiler and Scoelese to spend more time watching JWST. These two have presided over years of cost growth and schedule delays that have damaged multiple projects within SMD, and which now threaten to damage the Agency's reputation as a whole. Perhaps it is Weiler and Scoelese that need to be changed out ...

This latest cost increase/schedule delay happened throughout Charlie Bolden's entire tenure with both Scolese and Weiler overseeing this program at NASA HQ under Bolden's direct, daily management. Perhaps Gen. Bolden doesn't realize his connection to the collective mismanagement of these projects is itself becoming as clear as the vacuum of space ...

Keith's update: Word has it that there will be a press conference on Monday where some heads will roll as this mess is reorganized under Chris Scolese. Stay tuned.

<Test at other NASA agency outside Ohio leads to false alarm at Research Center, WEWS

"The head of a NASA Lewis Research Center said that a test was going on at another space agency center, not in Ohio, when they got false reports of a shooter in a building. An employee at NASA Glenn with the same last name as a person at the other center mistakenly received a call at about 9:30 a.m. from an automated system with the message that there "is a shooter in the building." The employee did not realize it was a test. That employee told his supervisor, who then called security and then police, said Director Ramon Lugo III The building was put on lockdown and employees were told to stay in their offices."

Officials: False alarm led to Ohio NASA lockdown, AP

"Dennis Pehotsky, a retired safety officer at the center, said false alarms are common at NASA Glenn. "Crews are working out there all the time and it never ends, false alarms," he said. "They cut into wires and everything else and they set off alarms. This kind of thing happens frequently."

False Alarm Led to Brief Lockdown at Ohio NASA Facility, Police Say, Fox News

"Lt. Don Michalosky with the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office says a message was misunderstood Friday morning while NASA was conducting a test of its automated emergency notification system. He says someone who received the message didn't realize it was a test."

GRC Reader note: "People in building 77 were hiding with lights off, and doors locked hoping no one with a gun decided to bust in. And the SWAT team was with guns in the hallway. They even patted down and searched the entire second floor. So all in all it was a pretty interesting day."

Keith's update: This was sent all over GRC after the whole things started. It would seem that there was no advanced notice of this security test:

More below:

From: grc-building86-bounces@lists.nasa.gov [mailto:grc-building86-bounces@lists.nasa.gov][DELETED]
Sent: Friday, November 05, 2010 10:21 AM
To: grc-building86@lists.nasa.gov
Subject: [GRC-building86] FW: Security emergency!

From: Antczak, Paul M. (GRC-FDM0)
Sent: Friday, November 05, 2010 9:59 AM
To: [DELETED]
Cc: [DELETED]
Subject: Security emergency!

All Building Managers....send out this notice immediately to your buildings.

There is a security emergency taking place on the Lab. You are asked to stay in your building, office with the door locked, until further notice. This is a true emergency! This is what the outside loud speaker announcement system have been trying to tell you.

Paul M. Antczak
Building Manager Lead
NASA Glenn Research Center
Facilities Division, Program Management Office (FDM)

GRC Reader note: Here's what happened: NASA maintains a database of emergency contact information that includes our names, phone #'s (desk, home and cell), next of kin and email's.

There were testing a new automated emergency messaging system at another center and somehow somebody in Bldg 110 had their phone number entered by mistake. At the time that the phone call came in, it went into his answering system because he was on the phone with someone else.

He gets done with phone call, sees that he has a message and checks it. The front part about this being a test may have gotten truncated by the answering system (that typically happens when you have one machine talking to another machine), but he never heard the part about it being a test. He heard that there had been reports of shots fired in the building and that the building was locked down. In disbelief, he asks his officemate if they got the same message, and she stated no. He played it back for them, and they did not hear anything about this being a test.

Now, we have been receiving messages that the safety office were suppose to test the outdoor PA system for the "lockdown" messages tomorrow, so they went into their supervisor's office to see if the supervisor had heard anything about this being related to tomorrow's test. The supervisor did not hear anything other than tomorrow's test and forward it to their supervisor in Bldg 77. That supervisor did not hear anything, so it got sent up the chain of command to Bldg 3 -- the main administration building. They assumed it was the real deal.

From the time that the two co-workers walked into their supervisor's office until the time that word got sent out centerwide was under 3 minutes.

The reponse team first showed up at Bldg 77 and working their way through there. It took about 45 minutes before they figured/talked to the right person that the call came from Bldg 110, so they called in a second response team to go over to Bldg 110. It took about 20 minutes before they got to right people and figured out that this came from another center.

There has an investigation launched to figure out what went wrong and why.

Space Shuttle Discovery Launch Postponed to no Earlier than November 30, SpaceRef

"NASA has decided to postpone the launch of Discovery to no earlier than November 30. This is a result of the hydrogen leak that occurred early in tanking of the shuttle external tank. It turns out there also was a crack in the foam of the external tank."

Keith's note: There are lots of NASA planes headed back to JSC and Stennis/MAF right now (see FlightAware)

Cassini Spacecraft Enters Safe Mode

"Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., are working to understand what caused NASA's Cassini spacecraft to put itself into "safe mode," a precautionary standby mode. Cassini entered safe mode around 4 p.m. PDT (7 p.m. EDT) on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Since going into safe mode, the spacecraft has performed as expected, suspending the flow of science data and sending back only data about engineering and spacecraft health. Cassini is programmed to put itself into safe mode automatically any time it detects a condition on the spacecraft that requires action from mission controllers on the ground."

NASA Gives GO for Launch of Discovery Today, SpaceRef

"After a stormy day Thursday, Friday is looking like a great day to launch. There is a 70% chance of launch with the only concern potential wind gusts at launch time. At this time NASA is currently filling the external tank with its flight load of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants."

Marc's Update 8:22 am EDT: NASA Managers have made the decision to SCRUB the launch today due to a hydrogen leak at the ground umbilical carrier. This issue has happened before as recently as STS-127.

Marc's Update 8:47 am EDT: We're looking at a minimum 72 hour turnaround now. This means if they can fix the issue and if the Orbiter team can extend the launch window then Monday might see a launch.

Marc's Update 12:50 pm EDT: NASA managers have decided to postpone the next launch attempt for space shuttle Discovery to no earlier than Nov. 30 at 4:05 a.m. EST.

Reference Model for the International Space Station, U.S. National Laboratory

"In response to the recent GAO recommendations and White House direction, SOMD reviewed all prior studies and elected to commission an independent assessment by an objective third party. ProOrbis, LLC was selected to conduct the assessment based on two factors: (1) ProOrbis is a management consulting firm specializing in the re-positioning of sophisticated high technology assets for maximum value generation, and; (2) ProOrbis had no prior history in the civil space sector and thus offered freedom from predisposed biases. In June 2010, ProOrbis was formally tasked to provide within 90 days a "reference model" for an organization and strategic approach that could maximize the value to the nation for the U.S. share of the ISS. The ProOrbis final report, "Reference Model for the ISS U.S. National Laboratory" is the result of that effort."

Keith's Note: As far as I can tell, NASA never issued a press release about this report. With all the talk of human spaceflight and commercialization, one would think that an attempt to frame the future uses of the ISS would be of broad interest. Guess not.

Election Adds To Space Policy Uncertainty, Aviation Week

"Unless the post-election lame duck session - controlled by the outgoing Democratic majority - finds a way to fund the STS-135 mission, it will be a tempting cash cow next January as the Republican majority looks for ways to match their belt-tightening campaign rhetoric with legislative action."

Space News Asks the Experts

"Marcia Smith, founder and editor, Spacepolicyonline.com: The Republican takeover of the House is not good news for NASA. It's not that Republicans don't like NASA. As far as I can tell, just about everyone in the United States loves NASA. But they love NASA more in good economic times than in bad, and these are really bad economic times. The message from the election is not just that America is angry at Washington, but that Bill Clinton is still correct -- it's the economy, stupid.

Bill Adkins, principal, Center for Space Strategic Studies: Presumptive House Speaker John Boehner proposed during the campaign to roll back federal spending to 2008 levels. In previous years, NASA's budget has been spared from budget freezes while other non-defense agencies have seen their budgets flat-lined, but the game is changing. The current FY11 budget may be NASA's high-water mark for a while."

GOP to gain control of NASA oversight, UPI

"Wolf is the ranking member of the powerful House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, and Science and Subcommittee, which oversees NASA spending, and will likely assume the panel's chairmanship come January. He has been a vocal critic of Obama's plans for NASA, claiming the president is effectively ceding U.S. leadership in space."

Discovery Will Attempt to Launch Thursday Though Weather Might Force Another Delay, SpaceRef

"Wednesday afternoon NASA's Mission Management Team met at 2:45 pm EDT to review the main engine #3 backup controller issue which caused a day's delay in the launch of space shuttle Discovery. After the meeting a GO was given to attempt a launch Thursday."

Marc's UPDATE 6:15 am EDT: SCRUB - NASA will not launch Discovery due to the weather conditions. Low cloud cover, expected ongoing rain have forced a 24 hour delay. Mission managers will reconvene tomorrow at 5:00 am EDT to discuss the weather for Friday's launch. Friday is looking better but expected high winds could be a problem. You can follow updates on the NASAWatch or SpaceRef Twitter accounts as events happen. launch on Friday would be at 3:04 pm EDT.

European Business Innovation Centre Network and Space Florida Initiate International Market Development Program

"The European Business Innovation Centre Network (EBN) and Space Florida last week initiated a Memorandum of Understanding to develop new market opportunities and resources for Small and Medium Aerospace Enterprises in Europe and Florida. Ongoing activities will further business development and job creation initiatives in the aerospace sector for Florida, as well as establish Florida as the threshold to American markets for European SMEs. The agreement was signed at the European Satellite Navigation Conference in Munich."