ASAP Informs Congress On Performance, Accomplishments, Challenges

NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) a committee that reports to NASA and Congress, released its 2024 annual report that examines the safety performance, accomplishments, and challenges through the year just finished.

The report represents the panel’s ongoing focus on NASA’s strategies for risk management and culture of safety in the rapidly evolving landscape of emerging commercialization of space. The panel cites recommendations made in 2021 regarding the agency’s preparations for potential challenges in the changing environment and include the need to evaluate NASA’s approach to safety and technical risk.

The report discusses topics related to the space agency’s activities and include:

• Strategic vision
• Moon to Mars management
• Future of U.S. presence in low Earth orbit
• Health and medical risks in human space exploration

It also notes the need for the agency to evolve and adapt its role, responsibilities, and relationships with both international and private sectors partners.

Lt. Gen. Susan J. Helms (USAF Ret.), Chair of ASAP said, “Over the past year, NASA has continued to make meaningful progress toward meeting the intent of the broad-ranging recommendations the panel has made over the last several years. We believe that the agency’s careful attention to vision, strategy, governance, and program management is vital to the safe execution of NASA’s complex and critical national mission.”

The new agency-wide initiative, NASA 2040, is working to put into action the agency’s vision and strategic objectives throughout its headquarters and centers. The panel notes that the creation of NASA’s Moon to Mars Program Office in 2023 has motivated NASA to implement safety and risk management as key elements for the agency’s Artemis campaign.

The annual report is compiled from fact-finding, quarterly public meetings, direct observations of NASA operations and decision-making, and discussions with management, employees, contractors, as well as the panel’s own experiences.

FMI:  www.nasa.gov/