The NASA's Sofware Development

"The Office of the Chief Engineer advances NASA's software engineering
"The Office of the Chief Engineer advances NASA's software engineering practices through:
    - Continuous process and product improvement,
    - Software engineering metrics,
    - Updated policies and guidelines,
    - Infusion of software engineering research and technology, and
    - Enhancing engineering knowledge and skills.

"... more

NASA Headquarters
Aeronautics - Human Exploration and Operations - Science

NASA IV&V Program
"Located in the heart of West Virginia's emerging technology sector, the NASA IV&V Program was established in 1993 as part of an Agency-wide strategy to provide the highest achievable levels of safety and cost-effectiveness for mission critical software. The NASA IV&V Program was founded under the NASA Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) as a direct result of recommendations made by the National Research Council (NRC) and the Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident.

Since then, the NASA IV&V Program has experienced continual growth in personnel, projects, capabilities, and accomplishments. NASA IV&V efforts have contributed to NASA's improved safety record since the NASA IV&V Program's inception. Today, independent verification and validation (IV&V) is an Agency-level function, delegated from OSMA to Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and managed by NASA IV&V. The NASA IV&V Program's primary business, software IV&V, is sponsored by OSMA as a software assurance technology. Having been reassigned as GSFC, NASA IV&V is Code 180 (Center Director's direct report).

The NASA IV&V Program houses over 150 full-time employees and leverages the expertise of in-house partners and contractors."... more

"The Robust Software Engineering technical area, is based in the Intelligent Systems Division at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California.

The Robust Software Engineering goal is to dramatically increase the reliability and robustness of NASA's mission related software, and the productivity of its software engineering, through the research, development, application, and transfer of automated software engineering technology that scales to meet NASA's software challenges. Robust Software Engineering draw upon many techniques from Computer Science (for example, in the areas of program verification, automated reasoning, model checking, static analysis, symbolic evaluation, and machine learning) and apply them to the verification and validation of software, as well as code generation. Technologies developed by Robust Software Engineering include automated software analysis, automated test case generation, reliable code generation, and risk prediction and analysis.

The Robust Software Engineering technologies is applied to NASA projects involved with Space and Aeronautics, and spun off sample educational lessons for students and teachers. We are currently engaged with projects in all the NASA Mission Directorates: Exploration, Aeronautics, Science, and Space Operations." ... more

Knowledge Management at NASA
"Knowledge management is getting the right information to the right people at the right time, and helping people create knowledge and share and act upon information in ways that will measurably improve the performance of an organization and its partners.

Why is Knowledge Management critical to NASA?
    - The Agency is constantly challenged to document and integrate its lessons to effectively manage the risk involved in space exploration and human space flight.
    - By its nature, NASA's employees have specialized knowledge.
    - Our goal is to share knowledge with each other and with the public.
    - To ensure safe flight and respond to issues raised by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB).
    - The workforce in the Agency is aging, and it is essential that critical knowledge be captured and retained for future reuse" ... more: What is KM?

The Human Systems Integration Division
"The Human Systems Integration Division advances human-centered design and operations of complex aerospace systems through analysis, experimentation, and modeling of human performance and human-automation interaction to make dramatic improvements in safety, efficiency, and mission success.

What is Human Systems Integration
Human Systems Integration is an umbrella term for several areas of "human factors" research that include human performance, technology design, and human-computer interaction. The study of Human Systems Integration at NASA Ames Research Center focuses on the need for safe, efficient and cost-effective operations, maintenance and training, both in space, in flight and on the ground." ... more

Instrument Systems and Technology Division
"The Instrument Systems and Technology Division (ISTD) is located within the Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Division provides instrument engineering expertise for the full life cycle of instrument development. With over 180 engineers and technicians, the Division provides the expertise to develop innovative new measurement techniques, advanced instrument concepts, scientific instrument proposals, and instrument systems analysis and implementation to enable advanced state-of-the-art Earth science, space science, and exploration missions.

The ISTD provides leadership and vision in developing and implementing technology programs, collaborating closely with the science community and other customers to identify new and emerging instrument technology requirements. The technologies developed range from subsystems such as detectors, coolers, or optical elements to complete instruments such as hyperspectral imagers or LIDAR systems, aimed at satisfying needs and enabling future science missions, reducing mission cost, enhancing instrument performance, and/or simplifying instrument design and development."... more

Related Links
Goddard Optics - Goddard Cryogenics and Fluids - Goddard Detector Systems - Goddard Laser and Electro-Optics - Goddard Microwave Instrument Technology
Goddard Instrument Systems